LIBRARY 

,OF    THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA. 


Class 


< 


THE 


MORAL     AND    INTELLECTUAL 


INFLUENCE    OF    LIBRARIES 


SOCIAL    PROGRESS. 


AN    ADKRESS   DELIVERED   BEFORE    THE    NEW   YORK    HISTORICAL  SOCIETY,    ON 
SIXTY-FIRST  ANNIVERSARY,  TUESDAY,  NOVEMBER  21,   1865. 


FREDERIC   DE    PEYSTER, 

President  of  the  Society. 


NEW   YORK: 
PUBLISHED    FOR    THE    SOCIETY. 

M.DCCC.LXVI. 


T>* 


At  a  ftated  meeting  of  the  NEW  YORK  HISTORICAL 
SOCIETY,  held  in  its  Hall,  on  Tuefday  evening,  November 
2 1 ft,  1865,  to  celebrate  the  6ift  Anniverfary  of  the  founding 
of  the  Society  : 

The  Addrefs  was  delivered  by  the  Prefident  of  the  Society, 
FREDERIC  DE  PEYSTER,  Eso^;  the  fubjecl  being,  THE  MORAL 
AND  INTELLECTUAL  INFLUENCE  OF  LIBRARIES  ON  SOCIAL 
PROGRESS. 

On  its  conclufion,  the  Rev.  SAMUEL  OSGOOD,  D.  D.,  after 
fome  remarks,  fubmitted  the  following  refolution,  which  was 
adopted  : 

RESOLVED,  That  the  thanks  of  the  Society  be  prefented  to 
its  Prefident,  FREDERIC  DE  PEYSTER,  Eso^,  for  his  inftruclive 
and  interefting  difcourfe  before  the  Society  this  evening,  and 
that  a  copy  be  requefted  for  its  archives. 

A  true  extract  from  the  minutes. 

ANDREW  WARNER, 

Recording  Secretary. 


Officers  of  the  Society,  1866. 


PRESIDENT, 

FREDERIC   DE  PEYSTER. 

FIRST     VICE-PRESIDENT, 

THOMAS  DE  WITT,  D.  D. 

SECOND     VICE-PRESIDENT, 

BENJAMIN   ROBERT   WINTHROP. 

FOREIGN     CORRESPONDING     SECRETARY, 

GEORGE  BANCROFT,  LL.  D. 

DOMESTIC    CORRESPONDING    SECRETARY, 

JOHN  ROMEYN    BRODHEAD,  LL.  D. 

RECORDING    SECRETARY, 

ANDREW   WARNER. 

TREASURER, 

BENJAMIN  H.  FIELD. 

LIBRARIAN, 

GEORGE  HENRY  MOORE. 


EXECUTIVE    COMMITTEE. 


FIRST    CLASS FOR    ONE    YEAR, 

GEORGE  FOLSOM,        JOHN  W.  DRAPER, 
ROBERT  L.  STUART. 


SECOND    CLASS FOR    TWO    YEARS. 

AUGUSTUS  SCHELL,  ERASTUS  C.   BENEDICT, 

BENJAMIN  W.  BONNEY. 

THIRD    CLASS FOR    THREE    YZARS. 

SAMUEL  OSGOOD,         WILLIAM  CHAUNCEY, 
CHARLES  P.   KIRKLAND. 

AUGUSTUS  SCHELL,   Chairman. 
GEORGE  H.   MOORE,  Secretary. 

[The   officers  of  the  Society  are   members,  ex  officio,  of  the   Executive   Com 
mittee.] 


COMMITTEE    ON    THE    FINE    ARTS. 


ABRAHAM  COZZENS,  WILLIAM  J.  HOPPIN, 

JONATHAN  STURGES,  THOMAS  J.  BRYAN, 

ANDREW  WARNER,  EDWARD   SATTERLEE. 

ABRAHAM   M.   COZZENS,    Chairman. 
ANDREW   WARNER,  Secretary. 

[The   President,    Librarian    and    Chairman   of   the    Executive    Committee    are 
members,  ex  officio^  of  the  Committee  on  the  Fine  Arts.] 


ANNIVERSARY    ADDRESS. 


., 


MR.  VICE-PRESIDENT,  AND  FELLOW-MEMBERS  OF  THE 
NEW  YORK  HISTORICAL  SOCIETY: 

HE  fubject  which  I  purpofe  to  confider 
this  evening  is — The  Moral  and  In- 
telletJual  Influence  of  Libraries  upon  So 
cial  Progrefs.  As  this  fubject  is  to  be 
viewed  in  its  fpecial  relations  to  our 
own  country,  and  to  the  refponfibilities  and  duties 
which  in  this  refpect  are  impofed  upon  us,  I  {hall 
firft  aflc  your  attention  to  fome  remarks  upon  the 
growth  of  certain  great  principles  and  ideas  in  the 
hiftory  of  the  nation,  and  the  pofition  occupied  by 
this  Republic  in  the  focial  progrefs  of  the  world. 

In  doing  this,  I  fhall  refer  more  efpecially  to  fome 
recent  fads  which  it  is  eminently  fuitable  for  us,  as  a 
Hiftorical  Society,  to  confider. 


6  The  Moral  and  Intellectual  'Influence  of 

Since  we  laft  met,  on  a  fimilar  occafion,  a  year  has 
parted  which  is  indiffblubly  connected  with  the  future 
welfare  and  happinefs  of  America.  It  cannot  fail  to 
be  forever  prominently  confpicuous  in  the  annals  of 
our  country,  and  to  hold  up,  not  only  to  our  own 
citizens,  but  to  the  people  of  other  lands,  the  ftand- 
ard  of  human  liberty  and  human  rights  which  is  def- 
tined  to  wave  over  a  world  difenthralled. 

This  brief  period  is  crowded  with  the  achievements 
of  a  mighty  nation,  rifing  in  its  confcious  ftrength  to 
fubdue  a  Rebellion  at  enmity  with  American  princi 
ples  and  Democratic  freedom,  and  impelled  by  a  deep 
fenfe  of  its  imperative  obligations  to  preferve,  at  every 
hazard  and  under  all  emergencies,  the  PALLADIUM 
of  its  exiftence,  the  UNION  ;  its  REPUBLICAN  INSTI 
TUTIONS,  and  the  Supremacy  of  the  FEDERAL  GOV 
ERNMENT  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  THE 
UNITED  STATES. 

In  the  face  of  this  gigantic  ftrife,  of  lurking  treafon 
in  the  loyal  States,  and  of  the  fympathy  and  material 
aid,  which  the  ruling  claries  in  certain  portions  of 
Europe  covertly  or  openly  extended  to  the  States  in 
rebellion  ;  moft  triumphantly  and  effectually  has  the 
American  Republic  executed  its  firm  refolve,  by  the 
gallantry  of  its  true-hearted  people,  their  exhauftlefs 
endurance,  and  their  many  and  fevere  facrifices. 

By  the  bleffing  of  the  SOVEREIGN  RULER  of  the 
Univerfe,  WHO  guides  the  deftinies  of  nations,  thefe 
patriotic  efforts,  and  an  unflinching  devotion  to 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  j 

duty,  which  "  a  fenfe  of  juftice"  and  of  "  a  common 
"brotherhood"  have  intenfified,  have  maintained  the 
caufe  of  right  and  of  freedom,  and  eftabliflied,  as  on 
a  rock  of  adamant,  the  great  and  fundamental  prin 
ciples  upon  which  this  Republic  refts. 

And  now,  in  the  prefence  of  thefe  great  principles 
and  thefe  glorious  events,  with  their  refulting  bene 
fits,  we  are  here  aflembled  to  celebrate  our  Sixty-firft 
Anniverfary.  Our  thoughts  naturally  revert  to  thefe 
interefting  and  important  circumftances,  becaufe  with 
them  are  connected  the  future  deftiny  of  our  country. 
These  reflections  create  a  juft  and  national  pride  which 
makes  the  American  citizen  fenfible  that  it  is  a  mighty 
nation  which  upholds  the 

"  Flag  of  the  free  heart's  only  home  !" 

A  brief  review  of  the  various  and  eventful  facts 
which  are  embraced  in  the  recent  war,  but  more  efpe- 
cially  of  thofe  which  relate  to  the  prefent  year,  cannot 
fail  to  demonftrate  the  value  of  their  influence  in 
every  portion  of  this  vail  continent,  where  various 
races  are  ftruggling  for  the  bleffings  of  Civil  and  Reli 
gious  Freedom,  as  well  as  in  the  Old  World,  where 
ever  its  inftitutions,  its  ufages,  and  its  injuftice  to  the 
mattes  come  in  contact  with  our  own  free,  liberty- 
loving,  and  reprefentative  form  of  Republican  Gov 
ernment. 

"  The  love  of  liberty,"  fays  Mr.  Webfter,  in  his 
Addrefs  delivered  before  this  Society,  "  is  a  paflion 


8  Ike  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

"or  fentiment  which  exifted  in  intenfe  force  in  the 
"  Grecian  Republics,  and  in  the  better  ages  of  Rome. 
"  It  exifts  now,  and,  firft  of  all,  on  that  portion  of 
"the  weftern  continent  in  which  we  live.  Here  it 
"  burns  with  heat  and  with  fplendor  beyond  all 
"Grecian  and  all  Roman  example.  It  is  not  a 
"  light  in  the  Temple  of  Minerva ;  it  is  no.t  the 
"veftal  flame  of  Rome:  it  is  the  light  of  the  fun— 
"  it  is  the  illumination  of  all  the  conftellations. 
"  Earth,  air,  and  ocean,  and  all  the  heavens  above 
"us,  are  filled  with  its  glorious  mining;  and  al- 
"  though  the  paffion  and  the  fentiment  are  the  fame, 
"  yet  he  who  would  reafon  from  Grecian  liberty  or 
"  Roman  freedom  to  our  intelligent  American  liberty, 
"would  be  holding  a  farthing  candle  to  the  orb  of 
"  day." 

Such  a  retrofpect  is  not  taken  in  a  fpirit  which 
feeks  to  depreciate  inftitutions  eflentially  differing 
from  our  own,  or  merely  to  indulge  a  fentiment,  how 
ever  juft  and  proper,  which  derives  gratification  from 
this  contraft;  but  from  a  juftifiable  defire  to  vindi 
cate  the  truths  and  eftablim  the  rights  which  have 
become  the  prefent  property  and  the  future  heritage 
of  our  countrymen. 

In  the  literature  and  art  of  every  country  there 
breathes  a  fpirit  which  is  infpired  by  the  patriotifm 
and  patriotic  exploits  of  the  people.  Hiftory,  Poetry 
and  the  Fine  Arts  will  impart  frefh  intereft,  and  lend 
a  grace  to  fcenes  which  are  identified  with  the  prefent 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  9 

era  in  our  hiftory.  Time,  as  it  rolls  on,  and  future 
generations  fucceed  the  witnefles  who  have  looked 
upon  thofe  fcenes  and  participated  in  them,  will 
furnifh  opportunities  to  genius  and  artiftic  tafte,  to 
render  immortal  every  diftinctive  feature  which  truth 
can  illuftrate  or  imagination  depict ;  in  order  fully  to 
prefent  a  faithful  portraiture  of  this  eventful  period. 

Before  I  proceed  to  confider,  however,  the  opera 
tion  of  great  Chriftian  principles  which  are  the  fource 
of  what  are  known  and  recognized  among  us  as  Amer 
ican  ideas;  I  defire  to  pay  a  merited  compliment  to 
our  own  State  for  the  pofition  which  me  took  and 
gallantly  maintained  during  the  whole  of  the  late  re 
bellion. 

I  am  aware  that  the  occurrences  of  the  recent  civil 
war  are  national  in  their  character,  and  that  objection 
may  be  made  to  their  introduction  in  an  Addrefs 
before  an  Aflbciation  of  a  local  defignation  ;  but 
it  muft  be  borne  in  mind  that  this  Society  is  not 
exclufively  a  State  organization.  Its  founders  were 
actuated  by  patriotic,  liberal,  and  enlarged  fenti- 
ments.  They  confidered  it  to  be  not  only  their  duty, 
but  a  duty  incumbent  on  their  fucceflbrs,  to  procure, 
and  preferve  for  hiftorical  inveftigation  and  illuftration, 
whatever  related  to  the  four  departmental  objects 
which  were  embraced  in  their  well-confidered  defign. 

This  effort  on  their  part  was  feconded  by  the 
Legiflature  of  the  State  of  New  York  in  1809.  In 
the  Act  which  incorporated  this  Inftitution,  pafled  on 


io          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

the  loth  of  February  in  that  year,  thefe  feveral  de 
partments  are  defcribed  as  thofe  which  embrace,  in 
the  following  order,  "the  Natural,  Civil,  Literary, 
"and  Ecclefiaftical  Hiftory  of  the  United  States  in 
"general,  and  of  this  State  in  particular."  Thus, 
this  Society  has  a  National  as  well  as  a  State  defigna- 
tion  and  character  in  this  wide  domain  of  literature. 

The  rebellion,  recently  fubdued,  arofe  from  conflict 
ing  views,  involving  queftions  and  principles  not  only 
connected  with  the  United  States  at  large,  but  with 
the  alleged  rights  and  privileges  which  appertained 
to  each  State;  efpecially  of  thofe  whofe  object  was 
to  fuftain  the  States  in  rebellion,  in  order  to  juf- 
tify  their  attempt  to  fecede,  and  thus  to  overthrow 
the  Union. 

Againft  that  gigantic  attempt,  the  State  of  New 
York — no  "wayward  fifter" — promptly  met  her  obli 
gations  to  the  Union.  She  knew  well  that  with 
the  prefervation  of  it  was  bound  up  the  national 
exiftence.  Both  being  thus  imperiled,  me  armed 
for  the  conflict,  raifed  aloft  the  ftar-fpangled  ban 
ner,  and  called  upon  her  fons  to  march  to  the 
refcue  ;  and  to  mow,  by  their  valor  and  their  devo 
tion,  their  determination  that  the  national  flag 
mould  wave  upon  every  foot  of  land,  over  which 
the  Federal  Government  ought,  by  the  common  com 
pact,  to  be  and  continue  fupreme.  They  nobly  re- 
fponded  to  her  fummons,  and  heroically,  on  many  a 
well-fought  field,  as  in  the  deadly  breach,  maintained 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrejs.  1 1 

her  plighted   faith   and  honor,   and    manifefted  their 
own  patriotifm  and  indomitable  courage. 

This  loyal  State — great  in  all  the  elements  which 
have  given  her  a  diftinguimed  pofition  among  her 
fifter  communities — will  never  forget  her  furviving, 
nor  ceafe  to  lament  her  loft  heroes  !  Her  grief  for 
thofe  who  have  perimed  on  the  battle-field,  or  by  the 
perils  of  a  foldier's  life  in  aftive  fervice,  finds  expref- 
fion  in  a  line  of  the  Roman  poet,  which,  in  few  but 
touching  words,  defcribes  the  anguifh  of  Orpheus, 
difconfolate  for  the  lofs  of  his  beloved  wife  Eury- 
dice — 

"  Te  veniente  die,  te  decedente  canebat." 

Inconfolable  for  her  death,  caufed  "  by  the  bite  of 
"  a  ferpent,"  he  defcended  to  the  lower  world,  and,  by 
the  charms  of  his  lyre,  "won  the  ear  of  Pluto"  to  let 
her  return  to  earth,  on  the  condition  that  he  would 
not  look  round  upon  her  until  he  had  reached  it.  In 
the  ardency  of  his  love,  he  looked  back,  forgetful  of 
his  promife,  and  thus  forever  loft 

"  His  half-regain'd  Eurydice." 

But  our  noble  State,  ever  mindful  of  the  bonds 
which  bind  her  and  her  children  to  the  UNION,  con- 
fidered  it  to  be  a  religious  duty  on  their  part  to 
peril  their  lives  in  its  defenfe,  againft  foes  "more 
"  vengeful  than  the  ferpent's  tooth."  She  looked  up 
to  the  heavens  above  in  the  pious  hope  that  thofe  of 


1 2  T'he  Moral  and  Intellettual  Influence  of 

her  fons  who  had  fallen  in  the  late  flrife  had  there 
found  an  entrance,  in  the  folemn,  mortal  hour ; 
whether  on  the  battle-field,  the  picket,  the  march, 
the  deck,  or  when  ftretched  on  a  pallet  in  the 
lonely  hofpital ;  by  that  "  watch-word  at  the  gates 
"  of  death" 

— "  the  foul's  fmcere  defire, 

"Utter'd  or  unexpreff'd, 

"  The  motion  of  a  hidden  fire 

"  That  trembles  in  the  breaft." 

She  calls  to  mind — as  who  does  not  that  has  been 
a  careful  obferver? — the  repeated  occurrences  where 
the  love  of  country  has  triumphed  over  the  pangs 
of  difTolution;  and  enabled  the  dying  volunteer,  as  he 
gathered  his  remaining  ilrength  for  the  effort,  to 
ejaculate  a  blefling  upon  the  Union — 

"  Et  dulces,  moriens,  reminifcitur  Argos." 

Whilft,  however,  I  thus  commend  my  own  native 
State,  I  am  not  unmindful  of  the  like  patriotic  devo 
tion  of  the  gallant  volunteers  of  every  other  loyal 
State.  Together  they  all  battled  for  the  fame  glori 
ous  Union;  together  the  living  mingle  their  joy  for 
its  prefervation  ;  and  together  they  are  aflbciated  in 
that  warm  fympathy  which  the  calamities  of  this 
fad  war  have  awakened  in  loving  and  loyal  hearts. 

That  devaftating  war,  which  the  people  of  all  the 
States  can  now  fcan  in  its  fearful  and  yet  glorious  re- 
fults,  was  a  war  of  opinions  !  It  was  a  claming  of 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  13 

prejudices  and  interefts,  intenfified  by  local  peculiari 
ties,  which  led  ultimately  to  "  the  irrepreffible  con- 
"  flict."  Now,  alfo,  we  can  calmly  and  more  clearly 
eftimate  its  huge  proportions,  the  vaftnefs  of  the  ma 
terials  required  for  its  vigorous  profecution,  and  the 
neceflary  and  innumerable  appliances  demanded  by 
the  rapid  ftrides,  which  emergencies  developed  in  mil 
itary  fcience  and  the  "art  of  war." 

Thefe  and  various  other  and  manifold  incidents 
are  aflbciated  with  the  crowning  events  which  decided 
that  conflict.  How  forcibly  in  this  connection  do 
thofe  memorable  lines  from  "The  Battle  Field,"  by 
our  own  liberty-loving  poet,  apply  to  this  decifive  re- 
fult. 

"  Truth  cruftied  to  earth  fhall  rife  again  : 

"  The  eternal  years  of  God  are  her's  ; 
"  But  Error,  wounded,  writhes  with  pain, 

"  And  dies  among  his  worfhippers." 

All  thefe  incidents  have  now  patted  into  hiftory  ! 
When  the  materials  which  relate  to  this  rebellion  are 
fully  gathered  and  carefully  fyftematized,  and  from 
thefe  its  hiftory  is  written  in  a  philofophical  fpirit, 
marked  by  the  rare  qualities  which  diftinguimed  the 
"  Father  of  Hiftory" — in  imitation  of  Thucydides, 
who  faid  of  his  great  work  that  it  was  not  written 
"  for  the  entertainment  of  the  moment,  but  to  be  a 
"pofleffion  forever;"  with  the  creamy  richnefs  of 
Livy — "  Livii  lactea  ubertas ;"  and,  above  all,  with 
the  pen  of  truth  and  the  charity  that  "rejoiceth  in 

2 


14  The  Moral  and  Intellettual  Influence  of 

"the  truth"  and  "never  faileth,"  our  Republican  In- 
ftitutions  may  then,  with  a  juft  and  an  ennobling 
pride,  reft  their  merits  and  their  fame  on  this  graphic, 
unimpeachable  and  immortal  RECORD. 

Great  and  glorious  as  are  the  triumphs  and  military 
prowefs  of  the  nation,  its  civil  hiftory  has  alfo  its 
proud  record  to  difplay. 

In  November,  1864,  in  the  minds  of  many,  at 
home  and  abroad,  whofe  "  wifti  "  probably  was 
"  father  to  the  thought,"  a  national  crifis  was  at 
hand,  which  might  change  the  character  of  the  civil 
war  then  reaching  its  climax.  The  general  election 
on  the  eighth  day  of  that  month  for  electors  of  the 
Prefident  and  Vice-Prefident  of  the  United  States, 
was  to  determine  whether  the  exifting  policy  of  the 
Federal  Government  was  to  be  fuftained  or  changed. 

Well  might  the  Old  World,  with  its  antipathies  and 
antiquated  views,  from  its  ftand-point,  apprehend  dif- 
aftrous  confequences  from  this  exercife  of  the  fupreme 
will  of  the  people. 

The  loyal  men  of  the  country  knew  better  the 
magnitude  of  the  iflues  at  ftake,  and  the  refponfibility 
refting  upon  them.  Without  clamor  or  tumult  they 
depofited  their  ballots,  which  by  an  overwhelming 
majority  decided  that  ABRAHAM  LINCOLN,  their  tried, 
{launch,  upright  and  able  leader,  was  to  retain  command 
of  the  ship  of  State,  and  that  ANDREW  JOHNSON, 
equally  reliable,  fearlefs,  true  and  juft,  mould  be  next 
in  authority;  a  refult  that  afforded  conclufive  affurance 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  \  5 

that  with  the  rebellion  mould  alfo  perifh  the  caufe 
of  it. 

This  decifive  refult  is  the  beft  teft  that  could  be 
afforded  of  the  mind  of  the  people,  their  intelligent 
action  and  firm  refolve.  Never  was  an  imperative  duty 
fraught  with  vital  refults  more  patriotically  or  con- 
fcientioufly  difcharged.  This  decifion  was  a  moft  fig- 
nificant  fact  of  the  law-abiding  character  of  the  people 
upon  whom,  under  God,  depended  the  deftiny  of  the 
nation.  This  event  was  a  noble  example  of  the 
Union  fentiment  overlooking  all  minor  differences 
and  considerations,  and  it  infufed  frefh  vigor  in  the 
national  councils. 

In  moral  grandeur  this  fcene  tranfcends  any  re 
corded  event  in  the  civil  hiftory  of  any  country  in 
ancient  or  modern  times  !  It  is  a  proud  record  of 
republican  inftitutions  in  their  reprefentative  com 
bination,  moving  harmonioufly  in  concert  in  times 
of  eminent  peril,  as  they  had  in  the  times  previous 
when  the  bleffing  of  peace  refted  on  them.  Juftly 
may  America  challenge  the  world  for  a  parallel ! 

From  this  commanding  eminence  the  dawn  of  the 
coming  day  becomes  more  vifible  which  is  to  med  its 
noontide  of  glory  upon  our  vaft  national  territory 
bleffed  with  univerfal  freedom,  fecured  to  every  por 
tion  of  the  Republic  by  the  Conftitutional  Amend 
ment  (certain  of  adoption),  which  is  the  permanent 
extinction  of  flavery.  "  The  liberty  of  Athens,  and 
"of  the  other  Grecian  Republics,  being' founded  in 


1 6  The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

"pure  democracy,"  Mr.  Webfter,  in  the  Addrefs  al 
ready  referred  to,  aflerted,  "was  fitted  only  for  fmall 
"  States.  The  exercife  of  popular  power  in  a  purely 
"  democratic  form  cannot  be  fpread  over  countries  of 
"large  extent;  becaufe  in  fuch  countries  all  cannot  af- 
"  femble  in  the  fame  place,  to  vote  directly  upon  laws 
"and  ordinances,  and  other  public  queftions.  But 
"  the  principle  of  reprefentation  is  expanfive — it  may 
"  be  enlarged,  if  not  infinitely,  yet  indefinitely,  to 
"  meet  new  occasions  and  embrace  new  regions. 
"  While,  therefore,  the  love  of  liberty  was  the  fame, 
"  and  its  general  principle  the  fame  in  the  Grecian 
"  Republics  as  with  us,  yet  not  only  were  the  forms 
"  effentially  different,  but  that  alfo  was  wanting,  which 
"we  have  been  taught  toconfider  asindifpenfable  to  its 
"  fecurity — that  is,  a  fixed,  fettled,  definite,  fundamen- 
"  tal  law  or  Constitution,  impofing  limitations  and 
"  reftraints  equally  on  governors  and  governed.  We 
"  may,  therefore,  inhale  all  the  fullnefs  and  frefhnefs 
"  of  the  Grecian  fpirit,  but  we  neceffarily  give  its  de- 
"velopment  a  different  form,  and  fubject  it  to  new 
"  modifications." 

Is,  then,  joy  that  the  Union  is  preferved,  and  that 
this  "  fundamental  law"  is  to  be  fixed  and  definite, 
which  makes  no  exception  to  limit  freedom,  not  to  find 
expreffion  on  an  occafion  like  this  ?  In  the  prefence  of 
thefe  deeds  is  it  inappropriate  for  me,  in  this  honored 
place,  to  rejoice  that  liberty  at  length  has  become 
univerfal  by  the  triumph  of  American  ideas ;  promul- 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  17 

gated  by  the  founders  of  our  republican  form  of  gov 
ernment,  which  in  procefs  of  time  have  worked  out 
their  own  folution  ?  I  need  not,  I  feel  allured,  an 
ticipate  an  unfavorable  judgment;  for  the  facts  ftated 
furnim  no  reproach  but  to  difloyalty,  whilft  the  in 
ferences  they  ftiggeft  are  unmingled  in  intention  with 
party  feeling  or  political  bias  ! 

But  whilft  thefe  ideas  are  entitled  to  all  the  ad 
miration  which  the  remembrance  of  their  folemn  pro 
mulgation  on  the  4th  of  July,  1776,  never  fails  to 
excite ;  yet  we  mould  never  forget  their  original 
fource,  and  their  living  inculcation  by  the  Divine 
Author  of  Chriftianity.  In  few  but  fignificantly  im- 
preffive  words  He  denned  the  two  great  principles 
which  were  to  be  the  ban's  of  the  religion  which  He 
taught,  and  the  rule  of  action  for  all  thofe  who  were 
to  be  gathered  within  its  vaft  fold.  Thefe  were 
"  Love  to  God — and  to  man  !"  Thefe  two  precepts 
are  the  firft  and  the  laft  links  in  a  chain  on  which  all 
the  intermediate  ones  depend.  HE  dignified  human 
nature  in  His  own  perfon,  and  taught  that  GOD  was 
no  refpecter  of  perfons — for  He  judged  the  heart,  out 
of  which  were  the  iflues  of  good  and  evil.  His  doc 
trines  and  teachings  were  defigned  for  the  elevation 
of  the  mafles  :  therefore  "  the  common  people  heard 
"him  gladly."  Such  was  the  effence  of  Chriftianity  ! 
It  fought  to  recover  mankind,  by  its  teachings  and 
practice,  from  ignorance  and  vice  to  true  knowledge 
and  virtue. 


1 8  The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

The  following  defcription,  by  Bifliop  Porteus,  of 
its  tendency  and  refults,  is  fo  admirable,  that  I  cannot 
deny  myfelfthe  pleafure  of  repeating  it: 

"Although  Chriftianity  has  not  always  been  fo 
"  well  underftood,  nor  fo  honeftly  practiced,  as  it  ought 
"  to  have  been;  although  its  fpirit  has 'been  often  mif- 
"  taken,  and  its  precepts  mifapplied;  yet,  under  all 
"  thefe  difadvantages,  it  has  gradually  produced  a 
"  vifible  change  in  thofe  points  which  moft  materially 
"  concern  the  peace  and  quiet  of  the  world.  Its  benef- 
"  icent  fpirit  has  fpread  itfelf  through  all  the  different 
"  relations  and  modifications  of  life,  and  communi- 
"  cated  its  kindly  influence  to  almoft  every  public 
"  and  private  concern  of  mankind.  It  has  infenfibly 
"  worked  itfelf  into  the  inmoft  frame  and  conftitution 
"  of  civil  States.  It  has  given  a  tinge  to  the  com- 
"  plexion  of  their  Governments,  to  the  temper  and 
"  adminiftration  of  their  laws.  It  has  reftrained  the 
"  fpirit  of  the  prince  and  the  madnefs  of  the  people. 
"  It  has  foftened  the  rigor  of  defpotifm,  and  tamed 
"  the  infolence  of  conqueft.  It  has,  in  fome  degree, 
"  taken  away  the  edge  of  the  fword,  and  thrown  even 
"  over  the  horrors  of  war  a  veil  of  mercy.  It  has  de- 
"  fcended  into  families,  has  diminifhed  the  prefTure  of 
"  private  tyranny,  improved  every  domeftic  endear- 
"  ment,  given  tendernefs  to  the  parent,  humanity  to 
"the  mafter,  refpect  to  fuperiors,  to  inferiors  eafe ;  fo 
"  that  mankind  are  upon  the  whole,  even  in  a  tem- 
"  poral  view,  under  infinite  obligations  to  the  mild 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  1 9 

"and  pacific  temper  of  the  Gofpel,  and  have  reaped 
"  from  it  more  fubftantial  worldly  benefits  than  from 
"  any  other  inftitution  upon  earth." 

At  the  time  that  thefe  United  States  fprang  into 
exiftence,  like  Minerva,  full  armed,  but  not,  like  fiery 
Mars,  heedleffly  eager  for  the  combat,  it  was  no 
fudden  impulfe  that  induced  them  to  put  forth  that 
immortal  manifefto.  They  had  been  trained  gradu 
ally  to  the  adoption  of  meafures  which,  by  the 
peace  of  1783,  fecured  their  independence,  but  which 
had  been  forced  upon  them  by  the  ufurpation  of 
the  Britifh  Government  and  Parliament,  and  the 
indifference  and  neglect  of  the  Englifh  nation  to  their 
repeated  applications  for  redrefs.  The  people  of  this 
country  walked  in  the  light  of  civil  and  religious  lib 
erty,  and  of  that  freedom  which  was*  the  common 
privilege  of  all. 

Independence  was  the  firft  fruit  of  this  "  Declara- 
"  tion,"  and  one  of  its  nobleft  productions.  There 
remained  the  fulfillment  of  their  further  promulga 
tion,  that  among  the  "  unalienable  rights"  enumer 
ated  in  that  extraordinary  and  immortal  Document, 
were  thofe  of  "  life,  liberty  and  the  purfuit  of  happi- 
"nefs." 

Under  the  guidance  of  an  All-Wife  and  All-Seeing 
Providence  thefe  truths,  deathlefs,  and  pregnant  with 
ultimate  fuccefs,  were  the  fruit  of  thofe  very  ideas 
which  years  of  Colonial  fubjection  had  inftilled  into 
the  minds  of  the  leading  men  of  the  revolutionary 


2O  'The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

aera,  as  well  as  into  thofe  of  their  progenitors,  and  which 
had  been  tranfmitted  by  them  and  their  children  from 
generation  to  generation.  Thefe  great  truths,  fub- 
jefted  to  every  kind  of  doubtful  difputation,  have  at 
length,  after  four  fcore  and  ten  years  of  probation, 
become  triumphant  by  the  "  fundamental  law" — the 
Conftitutional  Amendment — which,  with  the  aboli 
tion  of  flavery,  permanently  eftablifhes  their  vin 
dication. 

Thus  it  has  happened  that  when  the  "corner  ftone" 
of  a  new  political  edifice  was  attempted  to  be  laid, 
which  was  antagoniftic  to  thefe  truths,  and  to  our  Re 
publican  form  of  Government,  the  ftone  itfelf  re 
bounded,  and  crufhed  the  very  "  Inftitution"  which 
it  was  defigned  to  perpetuate  ! 

The.feal  of  the  public  approbation  of  that  memor 
able  meafure,  when  finally  affixed  by  the  dominant 
will  of  the  People  to  the  folemn  ratification  of  the 
principles  which  thofe  ineftimable  truths  nearly  a  cen 
tury  fince  proclaimed,  is  the  indifputable  evidence 
that  Liberty  has  become  like  the  pure  air  of  heaven — 
a  univerfal  boon  throughout  this  great  Republic.  It 
will  prove  to  be  the  Polar  Star  of  America,  attract  to 
our  mores  the  opprefled  of  .other  lands  who  pant  for 
the  bleflings  of  conftitutional  freedom,  which  a  power 
ful  nation  places  within  their  reach  ;  fubject  only  to 
the  wholefome  reftraints  of  equal  laws,  applicable  alike 
to  free  men. 

But  independently  of  its  home  influences,  that  in- 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  21 

valuable  meafure,  when  it  mall  become  a  fundamental 
law  of  the  land,  will  ftimulate  the  Republics  on  this 
Continent,  ftill  lying  in  the  darknefs  which  is  not  yet 
irradiated  by  the  light  of  Civil  and  Religious  Freedom, 
to  follow  in  the  footfteps  of  this  Great  Republic,  and 
ftrive  to  imitate  her  fuccefsful  career. 

How  forcibly  does  this  glorious  confummation  re 
call  to  mind  the  joy  of  the  Jews,  after  the  Decree  of 
Cyrus  had  reftored  them  to  liberty  and  their  homes, 
with   permiffion   to  rebuild  their  City  and  Temple, 
when  "  the  captivity  of  Zion"  was  ended. 

When  this  news  was  made  known  to  them,  they 
are  reprefented  to  have  been  "like  them  that  dream;" 
like  as  were  the  inhabitants  of  the  Grecian  cities  when 
Titus  Quintius  Flamininus,  by  proclamation,  reftored 
them  to  liberty,  to  exemption  from  taxes,  and  the 
privilege  of  living  according  to  their  own  laws. 

This  occurred  at  the  time  of  the  Ifthmian  Games, 
about  one  hundred  and  ninety-fix  years  before  the 
Chriftian  asra.  The  Romans  were  feated  to  behold 
them — multitudes  from  all  Greece  being  there  aflem- 
bled,  a  herald  went  into  the  circus  to  announce  the 
games,  none  but  the  Roman  general  knowing  what 
was  to  follow. 

Silence  being  obtained,  the  herald  folemnly  pro 
nounced  the  following  brief  but  terfe  proclamation  : 

"  Senatus  Romanus  et  T.  Quinclius,  Imperator, 
"  Phillippo  rege  Macedonibusque  devices  ;  liberos, 
"  immunes,  fuis  legibus  efle  jubet  Corinthios,  Pho- 

3 


22         The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

"cenfes,  Locrenfefque  omnes,  et  Infulam  Eubceam, 
"et  Magnetas,  Theflalos,  Perrhaebos,  Achaeos, 
"  Phthiotas." 

The  Roman  Senate  and  T.  Quintius,  the  General, 
having  vanquifhed  King  Phillip  and  the  Macedoni 
ans,  do  ordain  that  the  Corinthians,  Phocians,  all 
the  Locrians,  the  Euboeans,  the  Magnefians,  Thefla- 
lians,  Perrhaebians,  Acheans  and  Phthiotians,  mall  . 
be  free,  be  delivered  from  all  taxes,  and  live  accord 
ing  to  their  own  laws. 

Livy  relates  the  impreffion  which  this  generous  act 
produced  on  the  aftonimed  Grecians  in  a  manner  af 
fecting  as  it  is  natural,  and  in  a  part  of  his  remarks  in 
words  almoft  identical  with  thofe  of  King  David  in  the 
hundred  and  twenty-fixth  Pfalm.  "  This  proclama- 
"  tion  of  the  herald  being  heard,  there  was  fuch 
"joy  that  the  people  in  general  could  not  com- 
"  prehend  it.  Scarcely  could  any  perfon  believe 
"  what  he  had  heard.  They  gazed  on  each  other, 
"  wondering  as  if  it  had  been  Jome  illufion,  Jimilar 
"  to  a  dream ;  and  although  all  were  interefted  in 
"  what  was  fpoken,  none  could  truft  his  own  ears, 
"  but  inquired  each  from  him  who  ftood  next  to  him 
"  what  it  was  that  was  proclaimed.  The  herald  was 
"  again  called,  as  each  exprefled  the  ftrongeft  defire 
"  not  only  to  hear,  but  fee  the  meflenger  of  his  own 
"liberty:  the  herald  therefore  repeated  the  proclama 
"  tion."  I  now  quote  from  the  original — "  Turn  ab 
"certo  jam  gaudio  tantus  cum  clamore  plaufus  eft 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  23 

"  ortus,  totiesque  repetitus,  ut  facile  appareret,  nihil 
"  omnium  bonorum  multitudini  gratius  quam  Lib- 
"  ertatem  efle."  When  by  this  repetition  the  glad  ti 
dings  were  confirmed,  there  arofe  fuch  a  fhout,  ac 
companied  with  repeated  clapping  of  hands,  as  plainly 
mowed  that  of  all  good  things  none  is  Jo  dear  to  the  mul 
titude  as  Liberty  ! ' 

Well  might  Cicero  exclaim,  "  O !  nomen  dulce 
"  libertatis  !  O  !  jus  eximium  noftrae  civitatis  !"  " 

Thefe  reminifcences  of  the  paft  are  vividly  repeated 
in  the  recent  occurrences  of  our  day.  The  "  Eman- 
"cipation  Proclamation"  and  the  martyrdom  for 
Liberty  of  Abraham  Lincoln,  have  made  his  name 
imperimable  as  hiftory  itfelf.  To  ufe  his  own  words, 
he  was  "  with  malice  towards  none ;  with  charity  for 
"  all  ;  with  firmnefs  in  the  right,  as  God  gives  us 
"to  fee  the  right." 

The  efforts  of  his  fucceflbr,  in  a  like  liberty-loving 
fpirit,  hold  out  the  expectation  that  Andrew  Johnfon 
may  with  greater  force  be  confidered,  in  the  words 
which  Cicero  applied  to  Virgil,  and  Virgil,  in  the 
JEneld,  to  lulus — "  Magnje  fpes  altera  Romae." 
For  to  him  is  now  committed  the  arduous  tafk  of 
carrying  into  effect  the  recommendations  of  his  il- 
luftrious  predeceflbr,  which  were  "  to  finifh  the 
"  work  we  are  in  ;  to  bind  up  the  nation's  wounds  ; 
"to  care  for  him  who  mail  have  borne  the  bat- 
"  ties,  and  his  widow  and  orphans  ;  to  do  all 
"which  may  achieve  and  cherifh  a  juft  and  a 


24         The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

"  lafting  peace  among  ourfelves  and  with  all  na 
tions." 

When  this  work  is  done,  and  the  Union  is  reftored 
to  its  true  equipoife,  when  liberty  is  made  fecure  by 
Conftitutional  law,  and  the  bitternefs  of  the  paft  is 
removed  by  fuch  influences  as  fpring  from  the  teach 
ings  of  the  martyred  Lincoln,  then  mall  all  America 
be  enabled  fully  to  refpond  to  the  fentiments  of  the 
great  Roman  orator,  "  O  !  fweet  name  of  Liberty  ! 
CCO  !  unparalleled  right  of  our  country  !" 

The  object  of  introducing  this  hiftorical  illuftration 
is  not  only  to  trace  the  deep-rooted  fentiment  of  lib 
erty,  whofe  fibres  penetrate  the  inmoft  recefles  of  the 
human  heart,  in  all  clafles  and  among  all  races  ;  but  to 
mow  alfo  the  beneficial  refults  which  flow  from  a 
generous  and  wifely  liberal  policy. 

The  reconftruction  of  the  States  recently  in  rebel 
lion  calls  for  magnanimity  in  action  and  wifdom  in 
execution  of  the  plans  to  be  devifed,  which  fhall  re- 
ftore  harmony  among  all  the  States,  ftrengthen  anew 
the  bonds  of  a  common  Union,  and  guard  with  pre 
cautionary  and  judicious  meafures  the  reftored  rights 
of  the  Freedmen. 

In  thefe  latter  refpects  the  courfe  of  Flamininus 
prefents  an  inftructive  leflbn,  deferving  the  attention 
which  that  leflbn  invites.  "  His  conduct,"  remarks 
Dr.  Anthon,  in  a  brief  fketch  which  the  learned  pro- 
feflbr  has  given  of  Flamininus,  "  throughout  thefe 
"  memorable  tranfactions  was,  marked  by  a  wifdom, 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  2$ 

"  moderation  and  liberality  feldom  found  united  in  a 
"victorious  Roman  general.  He  was  thus  the  means 
"  of  protradting  the  independence  of  the  Greek  States 
"  for  half  a  century  longer." 

When  Flamininus  had  fettled  the  affairs  of  Greece, 
he  prepared  to  return  to  Rome  (194  B.  C.)  Before 
leaving  Corinth  for  this  purpofe,  he  withdrew  his  gar- 
rifons  from  all  the  Grecian  cities,  and  finally  carried  out 
the  provifions  of  his  proclamation.  Immunity  from 
taxation  was  included  in  thofe  provifions,  but  fuch 
an  immunity,  where  reprefentation  exifts,  is  not  ap 
plicable  to  our  American  States.  Deputations  from 
thofe  cities  affembled  to  take  an  affectionate  leave  of 
him.  The  Senate,  on  his  return  to  Rome,  decreed 
him  a  triumph  of  three  days.  The  people  received 
their  General  and  his  victorious  army  with  great  ac 
clamation.  In  the  rear  of  the  triumphal  proceffion 
followed  the  Roman  prifoners,  who  had  been  fold  by 
Hannibal  in  the  fecond  Punic  war,  as  (laves,  and  who 
had  obtained  their  freedom  by  the  gratitude  of  the 
Greeks,  for  the  benefits  which  they  had  received  from 
Flamininus. 

The  Achasans  alone  are  reprefented  as  having  paid 
one  hundred  talents  for  the  liberation  of  twelve  hun 
dred  of  thofe  very  prifoners  from  flavery.  We  may 
juftly  affume  that  where  thefe  Greeks  participated 
in  thofe  confederate  and  benevolent  meafures  of  the 
Roman  general,  the  other  cities  were  not  backward  in 
largely  affifting  in  the  gratifying  fpectacle  which,  on 


26         The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

thofe  three  days,  was  prefented  to  the  martial  and  im 
perial  city  of  Rome,  by  the  reunion  with  its  citizens 
of  the  victims  of  the  great  Carthaginian. 

In  our  day,  under  the  influences  of  Chriftian  kind- 
nefs  and  a  common  brotherhood,  we  may  reafonably 
expect  that  a  like  difcerning  policy  in  the  fettlement 
of  the  various  differences  of  opinion,  and  the  recon 
cilement  of  claming  interefts  and  prejudices,  which 
prevail  in  fome  of  the  States,  may  refult  in  more 
ftrongly  cementing  the  Union  of  all. 

The  "  truths,"  so  long  dormant,  whofe  very  exift- 
ence  was  queftioned,  and  whofe  growth  was  deemed 
impracticable,  have  by  their  own  innate  virtue  and 
vital  power  become,  at  length,  not  only  "  felf-evi- 
"  dent,"  but  already  productive  of  exhauftlefs  good. 
What  Lord  Coke  said  of  "  Right,"  in  its  legal  ac 
ceptation,  may  be  now  faid  of  each  right  which  thefe 
truths  have  eftablimed : — "  that  it  was  of  fuch  high  * 
"  eftimation  that  the  law  preferveth  it  from  death  and 
"  deftruction ;  trodden  down  it  may  be,  but  never 
"  trodden  out." 

The  earneft  and  patriotic  men  of  1776  fpake  well 
and  truly  when  they  pronounced  thefe  "  rights"  a»- 
alienable!  Trodden  down  they  have  been,  but  never 
trodden  out.  They  have  proved  to  be  like  the  bag 
of  muftard  feed  fent  by  Alexander  the  Great  to  Da 
rius,  in  return  for  his  barrel  full  of  Jejame.  According 
to  eaftern  tradition,  the  active  energy  of  the  former 
•nade  it  as  apt  "  an  emblem  of  the  good  as  the  ill."  It 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  27 

indicated  the  energy  and  the  biting  courage  of  his  fol- 
diers:  the  more  they  were  preffed  the  more  fiery  were 
the  qualities  which  the  "  conflict"  produced ;  whilft 
the  "  fefame"  indicated  the  numbers  whom  Alexander 
vanquished.4 

Thefe  fame  truths  have  been  characterized  as  "  glit- 
"  tering  generalities."  Time  has  mown  them  to  be 
brilliant  realities,  pregnant  with  untold  advantage  to 
our  own  nation  ;  fraught  with  hope  and  promife  to  the 
multitudinous  populations  of  both  worlds,  and  capable 
of  fecuring  by  the  one  the  fulfillment  of  the  other. 

The  developments  which  gradually  led  to  a  full 
recognition  of  thefe  folemn  verities,  "vindicate  the 
"ways  of  God  to  man."  But,  like  all  precious  and 
eagerly  fought-for  acquifitions,  they  have  been  ob 
tained  by  courageous  and  perfiftent  efforts.  In  the 
recent  ftruggle,  what  libations  of  kindred  blood  have 
been  made  to  fecure  peace  with  freedom  !  What 
wounds  and  mutilated  limbs,  and  perfonal  fufferings, 
have  refulted  from  the  heroic  devotion  of  a  loyal 
people  !  What  facrifices  of  health  and  wealth  to  in- 
fure  victory  !  Thefe  fadden  the  heart  by  recollections 
which  alfo  opprefs  the  memory  ;  but  they  furnim  us 
with  the  aflurance  that  no  fimilar  calamity  will  again 
aflail  our  now  difenthralled  country. 

Now,  that  this  advance  has  taken  place  in  ourfocial 
fyftem,  we  can  more  fully  contemplate  the  caufes 
which  occafioned  it,  and  thus  we  are  enabled  to  trace 
its  origin  in  the  large  proprietary  clafs,  which  con- 


28          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

trolled  the  action  of  the  South  and  guided  its  move 
ments.  Without  formal  titles  of  diftinftion,  this 
clafs  enjoyed  all  the  eflentials  of  a  landed  ariftocracy ; 
they  held  the  intermediate  dafs,  known  as  "  the  poor 
whites,"  in  political  fubjection  ;  and  having  made  labor 
difgraceful  to  the  white  and  the  only  proper  employ 
ment  of  the  loweft  clafs,  the  black  ;  the  contraft  be 
tween  the  higher  and  this  menial  condition  rendered 
the  degradation  of  the  poor  whites  a  political  confe- 
quence ;  becaufe,  though  nominally  the  equals  of  the 
lordly  planters,  virtually  they  were  but  as  ferfs,  in  all 
political  matters. 

Clafs  domination  governed  focial  intercourfe,  and 
clafs  confervatifm  clung  to  a  fyftem  that  dreaded  the 
refults  of  ideas,  which  inculcated  the  influential  opera 
tion  of  thofe  popular  elements  of  power,  inherent  in 
the  rights  that  made  men  equal  in  the  eye  of  the  law ; 
and  further,  when  thus  encouraged,  was  deftruftive  of 
the  tendencies  which  virtually  had  their  origin  in  feu- 
dalifm. 

Coleridge  is  reported  to  have  faid  that  "  the  free 
"  clafs  in  a  flave  State  is  always,  in  one  fenfe,  the 
"  moft  patriotic  clafs  of  people  in  an  empire ;  for  their 
"  patriotifm  is  not  (imply  the  patriotifm  of  other 
"  people,  but  an  aggregate  of  the  luft  of  power,  and 
"  diftinftion,  and  fupremacy."5 

What  was  the  objed:  of  this  free  clafs  in  the  recent 
rebellion  but  to  build  up  "an  empire,"  bafed  on 
the  irredeemable  flavery  of  the  black  race,  upon 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  29 

whofe  talked  toil  it  was  to  fubfift  ?  What  the  tend 
ency  of  the  rule  of  their  chofen  chief,  but  the  erection 
of  a  military  defpotifm  ?  And  what  the  aim  of  both, 
but  the  threefold  "luft"  fo  aptly  defcribed  by  the 
acute  and  philofophic  Coleridge  ? 

It  is  faid  of  Julius  Casfar,  "  that  he  had  fre- 
"  quently  in  his  mouth  a  verfe  of  Euripides,  which 
"  exprefled  the  image  of  his  foul,  that,  if  right  and 
"juftice  were  ever  to  be  violated,  they  were  to  be 
"violated  for  the  fake  of  reigning.  This  was  the 
"  chief  end  and  purpofe  of  his  life — the  fcheme  that 
"  he  had  formed  from  his  early  youth — fo  that,  as 
"  Cato  truly  declared  of  him,  he  came  with  fobriety 
"and  meditation  to  the  fubverfion  of  the  Republic."5 

The  coup  d'etat  that  overthrew  the  French  Repub 
lic,  and  founded  in  its  ftead  the  prefent  empire,  was 
the  refult  of  a  Napoleonic  idea,  fuggefted  by  the  mind 
of  the  great  Julius.  Had  the  boafted  "chivalry  of 
"the  South,"  identical  with  the  dominant  clafs  to 
which  I  have  adverted,  and  which,  at  the  facrifice  of 
right  and  juftice,  madly  plunged  the  fo-called  "  Confed- 
"  erate  States"  into  rebellion,  fucceeded  in  the  attempt, 
the  form  of  a  Republican  Government,  aflumed  for  the 
occafion,  would  fpeedily  have  been  merged  in  fuch  "  an 
"  empire"  as  Coleridge  intimated,  with  that  of  France, 
doubtlefs,  as  its  model,  and  its  ruler  an  ally.  His  de 
clared  anxiety  for  the  welfare  of  Mexico,  its  neighbor, 
would  have  as  truly  fympathized  with  the  idea  as  that 
on  which  this  new  empire  was  avowedly  bafed  ! 

4 


30         The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

A  few  months  previous  to  the  fuggeftion  of  Cole 
ridge,  upon  which  I  have  commented  (January  4, 
1833),  he  made  the  following  remarkable  prognoftica- 
tion,  which,  had  its  conclusion  been  equally  correct, 
would  have  been  juftly  confidered  an  extraordinary 
prediction.  "  Naturally,"  he  obferved,  "  one  would 
"have  thought  that  there  would  have  been  greater 
"fympathy  between  the  northern  and  north-weft- 
"ern  States  of  the  American  Union,  than  be- 
"  tween  England  and  the  fouthern  States.  There  is 
"  ten  times  as  much  Englifh  blood  and  fpirit  in  New 
"  England  as  in  Virginia,  the  Carolinas,  &c.  Never- 
"  thelefs,  fuch  has  been  the  force  of  the  interefls  of 
"commerce,  that  now,  and  for  fome  years  paft,  the 
"  people  of  the  North  hate  England  with  increafing 
"  bitternefs,  while,  among  thofe  of  the  South,  who  are 
"  Jacobins,  the  Britifli  connection  has  become  popular." 

His  conclufion  was  that  the  American  Union  had 
no  centre,  and  that  it  was  impomble  now  to  make 
one.  "In  fact,  the  Union  will  be  fhaken  almoft  to 
"  diflocation  whenever  a  very  ferious  queftion  be- 
"  tween  the  States  arifes."7 

Time,  as  we  have  feen,  has  tefted  this  very  quef 
tion.  That  the  Union  has  a  "  centre,"  and  adequate 
centripetal  and  centrifugal  forces,  has  been  mown 
under  circumftances  of  the  mqft  Jerious  character.  It 
has  demonftrated  that,  like  his  countrymen  in  general, 
the  inherent  power  of  the  American  Republic  was  by 
him  erroneoufly  eftimated. 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  3 1 

There  exift  reafons  to  mow  logically,  as  well  as 
"  naturally,"  that  the  caufe  for  this  very  fympathy 
arofe,  not  only  from  mere  intereft,  but  alfo  from  a 
fentiment  which  the  boafted  fpirit  of  chivalry  had 
created,  and  which  the  fpirit  of  the  times  has  compul- 
fively  afluaged. 

It  is  well  known  that  the  much-vaunted  Southern 
chivalry  had  created  a  fentiment  of  fuch  conventional 
force  that  it  governed  public  opinion,  and  fubjected 
the  local  laws  to  its  "  higher  power."  Its  emblems 
were  the  piftol  and  the  bowie-knife!  The  fpirit  of 
chivalry  in  the  "dark  ages,"  doubtlefs,  did,  in  very 
many  cafes,  exert  a  wholefome  reftraint.  But  after 
the  dawn  of  modern  hiftory,  a  better  civilization  was 
introduced,  and  events  have  mown  that  focial  pro- 
grefs  advanced  more  furely  and  beneficially  where  di 
vine  and  human  laws  were  made  obligatory. 

"  I  confefs,"  faid  Dr.  Arnold  of  Rugby,  "  that  if 
"  I  were  called  upon  to  name  what  fpirit  of  evil  pre- 
"  dominantly  deferved  the  name  of  Antichrift,  I  mould 
"  name  the  SPIRIT  OF  CHIVALRY — the  more  deteftable 
"  for  the  very  guife  of  the  '  Archangel  ruined,'  which 
"  has  made  it  fo  feduftive  to  the  moft  generous  fpirits, 
"  but  to  me  fo  hateful,  becaufe  it  is  in  direct  oppofi- 
"  tion  to  the  impartial  juftice  of  the  Gofpel,  and  its 
"  comprehenfi ve  feeling  of  equal  brotherhood,  and 
"  becaufe  it  fo  foftered  a  fenfe  of  honor,  rather  than  a 
"  fenfe  of  duty."  8 

The  colonial  fettlements  on   our  Atlantic  border 


j  2         Ihe  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

were  made  by  races  chiefly  of  Anglo-Saxon  defcent. 
In  a  general  fenfe,  they  were  lovers  of  freedom,  of 
diftributed  power,  and  confcious  of  the  right ;  but 
from  bigoted  views,  political  bias,  and  their  mifchie- 
voufly  confequent  prejudices,  they  were  often  forgetful 
of  the  claims  of  "equal  brotherhood,"  and  cherimed 
a  falfe  fenfe  of  honor  that,  as  Arnold  further  alleged, 
"  was  incompatible  with  the  higheft  virtue  of  which 
"  man  is  capable,  and  the  laft  at  which  he  arrives — a 
"fenfe  of  juftice;"  fetting  up — when  the  fpirit  of 
chivalry,  which  he  often  called  feudality,  prevailed — 
"perfonal  allegiance  to  the  Chief  above  allegiance  to 
"Goo  and  LAW  !"9 

Between  the  fouthern  and  eaftern  colonies  on  our 
Atlantic  border  decidedly  marked  characteristics  ex- 
ifted,  refulting  from  differences  in  opinion  and  pecu 
liarities  of  temperament.  It  is  not  my  purpofe  to  ex 
patiate  upon  thefe  distinctions  ;  I  can  now  only  notice 
their  exiftence.  Political  views  on  the  one  fide,  and 
hereditary  influences  on  the  other,  with  bigoted  opin 
ions  and  perfonal  confiderations  on  both,  often  made 
them  forgetful  of  the  claims  of  <c  equal  brotherhood," 
and  "  a  fenfe  of  juftice  ;"  whatever  may  have  been  their 
actual  or  pretended  fupport  at  other  times  of  that  which 
each,  in  fact,  deemed  "  a  fenfe  of  duty." 

Thefe  obfervations  are  now  more  directly  applied  to 
the  former  colonies,  becaufe  of  their  early  and  known 
ariftocratic  proclivities.  Had  the  fchemes  of  coloni 
zation  planned  in  the  time  of  Elizabeth  been  carried 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  33 

into  effect,  they  would  have  become  in  fad:  feudal 
principalities,  and  the  idea  have  been  practically  real 
ized  which  is  fuggefted  in  the  Dedication  of  the 
Fairy  Queen,  wherein  Spenfer  defcribes  Elizabeth, 
"  by  the  Grace  of  GOD,  Queen  of  England,  France  and 
"  Ireland — and  Virginia." 

At  that  time  "  Virginia"  embraced  a  region  which 
contained  within  its  limits  moft  of  the  Southern 
States,  as  appears  from  the  grant  made  to  Sir  Walter 
Raleigh,  which  gave  alfo  prerogatives  and  jurifdic- 
tion  of  a  vice-regal  character,  with  an  extent  of  terri 
tory  almoft  indefinite. 

The  ruling  clafles  of  England  have  always  fympa- 
thized  with  the  defcendants  of  thefe  fouthern  colonifts. 
Both  claimed  to  belong  to  that  "  chivalric"  order 
which  confidered  labor  the  badge  "  of  the  lower 
"clafles,"  and  both  regarded  themfelves  as  "  fruges 
"confumere  nati."  With  the  Britim  government 
was  the  feeling  of  national  and  commercial  rivalry.  It 
had  no  wim  to  fee  "the  poflible  deftiny  of  the  Uni- 
"  ted  States  of  America — as  a  nation  of  a  hundred 
"  millions  of  freemen — ftretching  from  the  Atlantic 
"  to  the  Pacific,  living  under  the  laws  of  Alfred,  and 
"  fpeaking  the  language  of  Shakefpeare  and  Milton," 
which  Coleridge  added,  is  "an  auguft  conception!" 
He  afked,  "why  mould  we  not  wim  to  fee  it  real- 
"  ized  ?  America  would  then  be  England  viewed 
"  through  a  folar  microfcope — Great  Britain  in  a 
"ftate  of  glorious  magnification."10 


34          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

The  interefts  of  the  commercial  community  of 
England  inclined  them,  during  the  recent  rebellion,  to 
favor  meafures  destructive  of  fimilar  American  in 
terefts — "recte,"  "aut  quocunque  modo."  Thefe 
influences,  and  a  defire  to  fee  the  United  States  dif- 
membered,  conjointly  induced  an  ancient  nation, 
whofe  boaft  was  that  its  flag  "  has  braved  a  thoufand 
"years,"  to  grant,  on  the  earlieft  pretext,  belligerent 
rights  to  fouthern  rebels,  to  furniui  them  with  ma 
terial  aid,  and  fo  to  conftrue  their  international  laws 
as  to  make  them  inftrumental  in  deftroying,  firft,  the 
commerce  of  a  youthful  competitor,  and  then  its 
ftrength — its  Union.  At  the  fame  time  it  pretended 
to  practice  good  faith,  difpenfe  impartial  juftice,  and 
obferve  a  ftrict  international  comity  ! 

In  the  Stadium,  among  the  Greeks,  a  white  line 
marked  out  the  ground  to  be  run  over,  on  which  the 
competitors  in  the  Ifthmian  games  were  to  keep 
their  eyes.  Thofe  who  deviated  from  the  courfe 
within  this  line  ran  unlawfully,  and  though  they  firft 
reached  the  goal,  were  therefore  not  crowned.  Eng 
land  has  long  been  running  in  the  conteft  with  Amer 
ica  for  commercial  fupremacy  on  a  line  marked  out  by 
herfelf,  and  recently,  in  order  to  obtain  the  coveted 
prize,  violated  her  good  faith,  facrificed  her  "  fenfe  of 
"juftice,"  and,  inftead  of  fairnefs,  ufed  deception,  by 
running  unlawfully.  In  the  face  of  open  day  me  un- 
bluftiingly  pretends  to  have  obferved  the  ftrict  rules 
of  the  game,  and  this,  too,  in  order  to  avoid  a  forfeit. 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrejs.  35 

Her  conduct  reminds  me  of  the  anfwer  of  Diogenes 
when  urged  to  defift  from  his  labors  on  account  of 
his  age :  "  Ei  So^ix"  'S^xfui,  iffa  fta  T»'AI<  tin  ni  «»»»«!  *« 
M  ftZMo*  «»iT»«w;"  If  I  have  run  long  in  the  race, 
will  it  become  me  to  flaclcen  my  pace  when  come 
near  the  end :  mould  I  not  rather  ftretch  forward  ? 
That  is  as  if  he  had  faid  **T«  ««»o'»,  along  the  line,  and 
according  to  the  strict  rules  of  the  courfe !  " 

Had  England  been  as  honeft  as  the  old  cynic 
philofopher,  me  would  have  avoided  the  reftitution 
which  in  time  me  will  be  afhamed  to  withhold,  or  be 
compelled  of  her  own  accord  to  make,  in  order  to 
prevent  others  from  adopting  a  courfe  fatal  to  her 
own  interefts,  on  pretexts  as  Minify  as  her  prefent 
weak  endeavor  to  defend  a  wrong. 

Southey,  in  his  "argument"  prefixed  to  his  Poem 
entitled  "  The  Poet's  Pilgrimage  to  Waterloo,"  con 
tends  that  "upon  the  great  fcale,  the  human  race 
"from  the  beginning  has  been  progreffive,"  and  that 
"  never  was  a  victory  fo  important  to  the  beft  hopes 
"of  human  nature"  as  the  battle  there  "won  by 
"  Britifh  valor,"  which  left  England  "at  leifure  to 
"  purfue  the  great  objects  of  bettering  her  own  con 
dition  and  diffufing  the  bleflings  of  civilization  and 
"  Chriftianity." 

It  has  been  the  misfortune  of  the  government  of 
that  country,  in  the  attempt  to  accomplim  thefe 
objects,  to  mingle  the  one  with  the  other ;  fo  that, 
in  diffufing  thefe  bleflings,  the  defire  to  better  her 


36          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

"  condition,"  feems  to  have  had  the  controlling  in 
fluence.  At  times  England  appears  wholly  to  have 
omitted  the  latter  duty,  in  order  to  accomplim  that 
which  me  deemed  moft  profitable  for  her  "  condition." 
Our  civil  war  has  furnimed  abundant  evidence  of  this 
ftrong  propenfity  on  her  part ! 

It  may  be  fafely,  I  think,  alleged,  that  more  has 
been  accomplimed  by  America,  during  the  paft  four 
years,  to  advance  focial  progrefs,  than  has  been 
effected  by  England  during  the  long  interval  which 
has  elapfed  fince  her  memorable  battle  was  fought. 
Her  foreign  policy  has,  during  that  period,  fought  to 
advance,  oftenfibly,  the  bleffings  of  civilization  and 
Christianity ;  while  circumftances  have  mown  that, 
in  the  effort,  her  commerce  and  love  of  acquifition 
have  brought,  upon  the  people  and  lands  embraced 
in  her  projects,  bloodmed,  the  encouragement  of 
vicious  indulgences,  and  a  ftrong  diftruft  of  her  de- 
fire  to  better  their  "condition"  by  any  facrifices 
detrimental  to  her  own,  without  the  admixture  of 
finifter  means  for  felfim  purpofes. 

It  is  fcarcely  neceflary  to  ftate  the  circumftances 
which  juftify  this  view  of  the  improvement  me 
has  made  of  the  "leifure"  to  which  Southey  ad 
verts.  It  is  fufficient  for  my  purpofe  to  introduce, 
as  an  inftance,  the  courfe  me  purfued  while  the 
United  States  was  engaged  in  putting  down  the  rebel 
lion  againft  its  government — the  moft  formidable 
attempt  of  the  kind  in  modern  hiftory.  Had  the 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  37 

ariftocratic  and  other  influential  clafles  in  England 
looked  with  as  much  favor  upon  the  much-needed 
reforms  at  home — to  the  claims  of  the  unrepre- 
fented  portions  of  her  population,  who  are  clamoroufly 
demanding  to  be  heard  by  their  reprefentatives  in 
the  national  councils — and  to  the  redrefs  of  the 
fore  evils  which  prefs  with  cruel  infliction  upon  her 
loweft  and  moft  degraded  clafles,  as  they  did  upon 
the  efforts  of  the  Englifh  government  to  aid  that  rebel 
lion,  they  could  not  have  failed  to  have  accomplimed 
much  for  the  better  condition  of  England  herfelf, 
and  with  much  better  fuccefs  than  has  refulted  from 
Britifh  interference  with  the  attempt  fuccefsfully  made 
by  the  United  States  to  enforce  fubmiflion  to  the 
fupremacy  of  their  government.  The  principal  point 
in  which,  in  my  view,  England  is  diftinguifhed  from 
the  United  States,  is  that  in  England  there  is  among 
the  ruling  clafles  a  want,  not  of  kindnefs  towards, 
but  of  fympathy  with,  the  laboring  clafles.  Well  did 
Sergeant  Talfourd  exclaim,  juft  as  he  fell  in  death, 
"That  which  is  wanting  to  bind  together  the  burfting 
"  bond  of  the  different  clafles  of  this  country,  is,  not 
"  kindneTs,  but  fympathy."  It  is  in  this  fympathy 
with  the  loweft  clafles  of  the  people  that  the  United 
States  pre-eminently  excel. 

I  fubmit  thefe  remarks  in  no  captious  fpirit,  but 
as  in  ftrong  contraft  with  the  "objects  and  du- 
"ties"  to  which  Southey  refers;  and  I  ftate  with 
pride  and  a  confcioufnefs  of  the  truth,  that  our  repub- 

5 


38          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

lie,  by  its  noble  and  refolute  courfe,  has  done  more  for 
the  future  of  our  race  and  its  focial  progrefs  than  has, 
during  the  prefent  century,  been  accomplished  by  Eng 
land  and  France  conjointly ;  and  this  through  inftru- 
mentalities  demanding  immenfe  facrifice  of  life,  of  treaf- 
ure  and  domeftic  happinefs,  accompanied  with  a  {kill 
in  the  direction  of  public  affairs  and  a  devotion  to  her 
interefts  unfurpafled  in  the  hiftory  of  any  other  country. 

I  am  not,  however,  infenfible  to  the  true  glory  and 
greatnefs  of  England.  Befides  her  common  law,  her 
language  and  literature,  America  has  enjoyed  the 
benefits  of  the  examples  furnifhed  by  Hampden  and 
Sidney,  to  enlarge  and  enforce  principles  of  republican 
and  conftitutional  liberty  ;  and  of  Clarkfon  and  Wil- 
berforce,  in  their  philanthropic  efforts  to  "blot  the 
"  accurfed  word  of  flave"12 — all  with  joint  claims  to 
"  The  equal  honor  of  enduring  fame  !" 

I  am  not  forgetful  of  the  virtues,  learning,  refine 
ment  and  piety  of  multitudes  among  the  people  of 
England.  In  this  fame  poem,  Southey's  encomium 
upon  them  is  well  deferved  and  juft  : 

"  There,  under  Freedom's  tutelary  wing, 
"  Deliberate  courage  fears  no  human  foe  ; 

"  There,  undefiled  as  in  their  native  fpring, 
"  The  living  waters  of  Religion  flow  ; 

"  There,  like  a  beacon,  the  tranfmitted  light 
"  Confpicuous  to  all  nations  burneth  bright." 

At    the   fame   time  we  may  well  claim  that  here, 
rather  than  there,  are  realized  his  other  words  : 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  39 

"  From  bodily  and  mental  bondage,"  here 
"  Hath  Man  his  full  emancipation  gained  ; 

"  The  viewlefs  and  illimitable  air 

"  Is  not  more  free  than  thought ;  all  unreflrained 

"  Nor  pined  in  want,  nor  funk  in  fenfual  floth," 
Here  "may  th'  immortal  mind  attain  its  growth." 

The  political  difcuffions  which  engaged  the  atten 
tion  of  the  Englim  Colonies  a  century  fince,  and  in- 
creafed  in  intenfity  until  the  feparation  from  the 
mother  country  was  effected,  feem  to  have  imprefled 
the  minds  of  thoughtful  men  in  England  with  the 
exiftence  of  the  peculiar  traits  of  American  char- 
after.  The  leclures  delivered  by  Dr.  Prieftley,  dur 
ing  the  laft  half  of  the  preceding  century,  on  "Hif- 
"tory  and  General  Policy,"  firft  appeared  from  the 
prefs  in  1788,  when  America  had  taken  her  pofition 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  In  his  forty-third 
lefture,  delivered  many  years  previoufly,  he  ex- 
prefled  the  opinion  that,  in  the  monarchical  States 
of  Europe,  it  was  "highly  improbable  that  any 
"form  of  properly  equaf  government  mould  be 
"eftablifhed  for  many  ages;"  but  that  "on  the 
"  contrary,  in  North  America  there  feems  to  be  no 
"  profpecl  of  the  peaceable  eftablimment  of  any  forir 
"of  government,  befides  one  in  which  the  rights  of 
"all  mall  be  equal." 

In  the  preceding  pages  the  progrefs  of  American 
ideas  has  been  mown,  and  alfo  that  their  full  recognition 
was  accomplifhed  by  the  refults  of  the  recent  Rebellion. 


4O          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

In  bringing  to  a  clofe  the  confederation  of  the  events 
to  which  I  referred  in  the  opening  of  this  addrefs, 
and  which  have  taken  a  wider  range  than  I  defigned, 
but  which  the  nature  of  the  fubject  demands,  we  ar 
rive  at  the  conclufion  of  the  correctnefs  of  that  lead 
ing  truth  which  Niebuhr,  one  of  the  greateft  of  mod 
ern  hiftorians,  thus  philofophically  ftates  :  "As  in 
"  organic  beings  the  moft  perfect  life  is  that  which  ani- 
"  mates  the  greateft  variety  of  numbers  ;  fo  among 
"States,  that  is  the  moft  perfect  in  which  a  number  of 
"  inftitutions,  originally  diftinct,  being  organized,  each 
"after  its  kind,  into  centres  of  national  life,  form  a 
"  complete  whole."  This  leading  principle  in  his  fci- 
ence  is  fully  exemplified  in  the  formation  of  the 
American  Republic,  with  its  Federal  Government. 
The  idea  is  embodied  in  our  national  motto,  "  E  Plu- 
"ribus  Unum." 

In  view  of  thefe  incomparable  refults  in  our  paft 
hiftory,  and  with  thefe  glorious  profpects  before  us,  I 
now  pafs  to  the  fpecial  confederation  of  the  influence 
of  Libraries  upon  our  future  focial  progrefs,  in  order 
to  prefent  to  you  the  defign  of  "  The  Hiftorical  Mu- 
"  feum,"  which  is  intended  to  be  erected  in  the  Central 
Park  in  this  city,  under  the  aufpices  of  this  Society, 
purfuant  to  an  Act  of  the  Legiflature  of  the  State, 
under  circumftances  fo  favorable,  and  with  fuch  libe 
ral  and  extenfive  appliances,  as  to  promife  great  and 
lafting  benefits  to  the  focial  interefts  not  only  of  our 
City  and  State,  but  of  the  United  States  in  general. 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrejs.  41 

The  aft  referred  to  is  entitled  "An  Aft  to  Im- 
"  prove  the  Central  Park  in  the  City  of  New  York," 
was  patted  on  the  2£th  of  March,  1862,  fubmitted  to 
the  Commifiioners  thereof  on  the  loth  of  April  fol 
lowing,  and  is  here  introduced  in  order  that  the  na 
ture  of  the  "appropriation"  to  this  Society,  with  its 
privileges,  qualifications  and  provifions,  may  appear  in 
the  very  words  employed  for  the  purpofe : 

The  People  of"  the  State  of  New  York,  reprefented  in  Senate 
and  Aflembly,  do  enadl  as  follows  : 

§  I.  The  Commifiioners  of  the  Central  Park  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  are  hereby  authorized  to  fet  apart  and  appropriate 
to  the  New  York  Hiftorical  Society,  the  building  within  faid 
Park  heretofore  known  as  the  New  York  State  Arfenal,  to 
gether  with  fuch  grounds  adjoining  the  fame  as  the  faid  Com 
mifiioners  may  determine  to  be  neceffary  and  proper  for  the 
purpofe  of  eftablifhing  and  maintaining  therein  by  the  faid 
fociety,  a  mufeum  of  antiquities  and  fcience,  and  a  gallery  of 
art. 

§  2.  The  expenfe  of  arranging  and  fitting  up  of  the  faid 
arfenal  building  for  the  ufe  and  purpofe  aforefaid  {hall  be 
borne  by  the  faid  New  York  Hiftorical  Society,  and  the  faid 
fociety  {hall  have  the  right,  at  its  own  expenfe,  to  add  to,  en 
large,  or  if  need  be,  to  take  down  the  prefent  building,  and 
erecl:  another  on  the  grounds  fo  fet  apart  and  appropriated  ; 
the  plan  of  fuch  addition,  or  new  building,  having  been  firft 
fubmitted  to,  and  approved  by  the  Commiflioners  of  the  faid 
Park. 

§  3.  The  mufeum  and  gallery  contemplated  in  the  firft  fec- 
tion  of  this  a£t,  when  fo  eftablifhed,  {hall  be  acceflible  to  the 


42          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

public  under  proper  regulations,  to  be  adopted  by  the  faid 
fociety,  approved  by  the  faid  Commiflioners,  and  not  inconfift- 
ent  with  the  proper  adminiftration  and  management  of  the 
faid  Park. 

§  4.  The  evidence  of  fetting  apart  and  appropriation  of  the 
faid  arfenal  building  and  grounds  within  the  faid  Park,  to  the 
faid  New  York  Hiftorical  Society,  for  the  purpofe  aforefaid, 
fhall  be  a  refolution  to  that  effe£t,  adopted  by  the  Board  of 
faid  Commiflioners,  duly  acknowledged  by  its  Prefident,  and 
recorded  in  the  office  of  the  Regifter  of  the  city  and  county  of 
New  York. 

§  5.  If  the  faid  New  York  Hiftorical  Society  fhall  fo  eftab- 
lifli  their  faid  mufeum  of  antiquities  and  fcience,  and  gallery 
of  art,  then,  fo  long  as  they  (hall  continue  there  to  maintain 
the  fame,  they  fhall  occupy  and  enjoy  the  faid  building  and 
grounds  thus  fet  apart  and  appropriated  to  them  for  the  purpofe 
aforefaid,  free  from  any  rent,  aflefiment,  or  charge  whatever 
therefor,  and  if  the  faid  fociety  fhall  at  any  time  hereafter, 
for  any  caufe,  difcontinue  their  faid  mufeum  of  antiquities 
and  fcience,  and  gallery  of  art,  in  the  faid  arfenal  building, 
or  on  the  faid  grounds,  then  the  faid  arfenal  building,  and 
any  building  whatever  erected  under  the  provifions  of  this  ait, 
and  the  faid  grounds  before  fet  apart  and  appropriated,  fhall 
revert  to  the  faid  Central  Park  for  the  general  purpofes  there 
of;  but  the  faid  fociety  fhall  in  fuch  cafe  be  permitted  to  re 
move  therefrom  the  faid  mufeum  of  antiquities  and  fcience, 
and  gallery  of  art,  and  all  its  other  property. 

§  6.  The  Legiflature  may  at  any  time  alter,  repeal,  or 
amend  this  aft. 

§  7.   This  adt  fhall  take  effect  immediately. 

The  above  enactments  furnifh  gratifying  evidence 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  4j 

of  the  intereft  manifested  by  the  Reprefentatives  of  the 
People  of  this  State  in  the  progrefs  and  ufefulnefs  of 
our  Society,  and  the  endeavour  to  accomplim  the 
important  ends  which  they  have  in  view.  The  fame 
appreciative  eftimate  of  the  general  defign  of  this  in- 
ftitution  had  been  mown  on  previous  occafions,  when 
application  was  made  for  legiflative  affiftance,  either 
for  its  extrication  from  a  burthenfome  debt  or  for  more 
available  efforts  to  enable  it  to  gather  and  preferve 
materials  for  hiftoric  refearch  and  illuftration,  as 
alfo  to  refcue  from  oblivion  and  the  "tooth  of  Time" 
the  perifhable  records  of  our  National,  State  and  mu 
nicipal  hiftory. 

It  will  be  noticed  that  the  Act  in  queftion  defignates 
the  location  of  The  Hiftorical  Mufeum  in  the  Central 
Park,  and  contemplates  the  fetting  apart  by  the  Com- 
miffioners  of  adequate  grounds  for  its  purpofes.  It 
makes  it  incumbent  upon  the. Society  to  obtain  the 
approval  by  the  Commiffioners  of  the  plan  of  the 
propofed  building ;  but  fuch  appropriation  and  fuch 
approval  impofe  duties  as  obligatory  upon  the  Com 
miffioners  for  their  due  and  prompt  performance,  as 
are  the  obligations  refting  upon  the  Society  by  the  pre 
cautionary  meafures  which  the  Legiflature  has  taken 
in  regard  to  the  proper  difcharge  of  all  the  conditions 
impofed  on  them. 

This  Act  was  communicated,  as  has  been  Stated,  to 
the  Commiffioners  on  the  loth  of  April,  1862,  and 
the  Refolution  which  the  Legiflature  required  the 


44          I'he  Moral  and  IntelleSfual  Influence  of 

Commiffioners  to  execute  and  record,  as  evidence  of 
the  authorized  appropriation  by  them  of  grounds 
adequate  for  the  purpofes  of  the  Society,  was  executed 
on  the  jd  of  October,  1865,  and  recorded  in  the 
Register's  office  in  this  city  on  the  i6th  of  the  fame 
month — but  a  little  over  a  month  fince. 

To  their  Executive  Committee  the  Society  dele 
gated  the  power  to  appoint  a  Building  Committee, 
whofe  duty  it  is  to  procure  and  lay  before  the  Com 
miffioners  the  required  plan  of  the  building  to  be 
erected  on  the  fite  above  defignated,  or  of  the  altera 
tion  of  the  "Arfenal  Building;"  either  of  which  the 
act  permits.  As  it  was  deemed  expedient,  however, 
foon  after  the  act  was  obtained,  to  afcertain  the  coft, 
in  either  contingency,  upon  the  adoption  by  the  Com 
miffioners  of  a  plan,  before  foliciting  the  neceflary 
fubfcriptions ;  a  General  Chairman  and  the  fifteen  fub- 
committees  were  appointed  to  collect  the  fame,  which 
were  to  be  paid  over  to  the  Treafurer  of  the  Society  ; 
and  they  were  inftructed  not  to  proceed  until  fuch 
plan  was  approved  and  eftimates  obtained. 

For  myfelf,  as  fuch  General  Chairman,  I  aflert,  and 
with  a  full  conviction  of  the  correctnefs  of  the  afler- 
tion,  that,  had  the  fubfcription-committees  been  per 
mitted  during  the  year  1864  to  proceed  with  the 
difcharge  of  the  duties  affigned  them,  fuch  was  the 
profperity  at  that  period  exifting  in  this  city,  notwith- 
ftanding  the  war  then  raging,  that  the  adequate  fum 
could  have  been  collected,  and  the  building  commenced. 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  45 

But,  nqw  that  the  grant  of  the  land  is  obtained,  in 
anticipation  of  the  action  of  committees,  who,  it  is  to 
be  hoped,  will  foon  be  in  a  pofition  to  enter  upon  the 
difcharge  of  their  important  duties,  by  the  early 
action  of  the  Commiffioners,  I  have  felected  the  fub- 
ject,  to  which  I  now  invite  your  further  attention, 
as  one  in  connection  therewith,  and  alfo  as  one  of  the 
greateft  importance  to  the  future  operations  and  ufe- 
fulnefs  of  this  Society.  This  enables  me  practically 
to  prefent  to  you  and  the  friends  of  this  inftitution 
the  refults  of  fimilar  efforts  in  times  anterior  to  as 
well  as  during  the  prefent  age,  in  order  to  ftimulate 
the  liberality  of  thofe  who  are  interefted  in  thefe 
departments  of  fcience,  literature  and  the  arts,  to 
fecure  the  benefits  which  are  thus  to  be  placed  within 
the  reach  of  the  public  at  large. 

No  one  will  queftion  the  defirablenefs  of  eftablim- 
ing  in  every  community  depofitories  of  the  treafures 
of  literature,  fcience  and  the  arts,  and  more  efpecially 
in  concentrating  thefe  in  a  city  like  ours,  which  is  the 
commercial  emporium  of  the  New  World.  With  the 
degree  of  culture  which  the  members  of  an  aflbciation 
like  this  are  prefumed  to  poflefs,  they  cannot  but  be 
deeply  impreffed  with  the  neceffity  of  eftablifhing 
fuch  depofitories  for  the  intellectual  and  focial  im 
provement  of  the  people. 

But  in  this,  as  in  all  fubjects,  there  are  fpecial 
afpects,  which  prefent  themfelves  only  after  diligent 

6 


46          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

fearch  and  investigation,  and  which  are  yet  too  im 
portant  to  be  overlooked. 

By  libraries,  in  this  addrefs,  are  to  be  underftood  de- 
pofitories  of  literature,  fcience  and  art;  in  fhort,  of  all 
the  products  of  intellect  and  imagination  which  can  be 
brought  together  for  the  pleafure  and  instruction  of 
man.  In  designating  the  intended  building  to  be 
erected  in  the  Central  Park  as  "THE  HISTORICAL 
"  MUSEUM,"  I  but  follow  the  authority  of  the  beft 
lexicographers,  who  define  a  mufeum  as  a  repofitory  of 
natural,  fcientific  and  literary  curiofities  :  a  place  for 
the  mufes  or  for  ftudy ;  and  this  defcription  is  the 
fame  as  that  comprehended  in  the  Greek  word 
from  which  it  is  derived.  In  considering  the  re 
lation  of  thefe  to  facial  progrejs,  the  moft  fatisfactory 
method,  and  the  one  moft  in  harmony  with  the  char 
acter  of  this  Society,  is  undoubtedly  the  hiflorical 
method.  This,  then,  is  the  method  which,  in  the 
treatment  of  this  fubject,  I  mail  adopt. 

It  would  be  impracticable  for  me,  on  this  occafion, 
to  enter  upon  the  details  connected  with  American 
libraries,  nor,  indeed,  is  it  neceSTary ;  for  thefe  have 
been  to  a  great  degree  investigated  in  the  feveral  able 
works  published  on  this  fubject. 

In  thefe  publications  the  reading  public  will  find 
full  and  fatisfactory  details  given  in  a  clear  and  ex 
planatory  manner.  The  increafing  number  of  thefe 
libraries  furnim  facts  full  of  intereft  to  us,  and  to  the 
generations  to  fucceed  us,  and  bear  teftimony  to  the 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrejs.  47 

beneficial  refults  which  cannot  fail  to  flow  from  this 
widely-fpreading  ftream,  which  is  to  blefs  with  its  pref- 
ence  every  portion  of  our  country. 

As  to  our  own  collections  in  this  Library  in  which 
we  are  aflembled,  rich  in  all  the  materials  of  Ameri 
can  hiftory,  and  fo  often  defcribed  and  fo  highly  ap 
preciated  by  ftudents  of  hiftory,  it  would  on  this  oc- 
cafion  be  a  work  of  fupererogation  for  me  to  attempt 
to  fpeak  in  a  manner  correfponding  with  their  value 
and  importance.  Books,  manufcripts,  maps  and 
charts,  as  well  as  the  treafures  of  antiquity,  of  fcience 
and  of  art,  in  each  and  all  the  departments  of  our 
varied  collections,  the  gradual  accumulations  of  hif- 
toric  wealth,  have  been  and  are  pouring  in  on  us,  and 
furnifh  demonftrative  proof  of  the  incapacity  of  this 
edifice  for  their  proper  reception  and  arrangement. 

In  lefs  than  the  lapfe  of  a  decade  the  prefent  build 
ing,  which,  at  its  dedication,  was  deemed  ample  for  its 
defign,  is  furniming  evidence  of  the  neceffity  of  the 
new  ftrufture  which  it  is  our  intention  to  ered:  in  the 

• 

Central  Park,  and  which  the  prefent  and  profpeftive 
growth  of  this  aflbciation  imperatively  calls  for. 

This  hall  and  the  galleries  above  will  be  required 
for  the  purpofes  to  which  they  are  now  applied,  with 
the  exception  of  the  antiquities,  the  Audubon  draw 
ings  and  colleclion  of  paintings,  which  can  be  much 
more  appropriately  arranged  in  the  Hiftorical  Mu- 
feum  when  that  is  made  ready  for  their  reception. 
Here  is  the  proper  place  to  keep  the  books,  manu- 


48          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

fcripts  and  charts  which  relate  to  American  hiftory, 
and  thofe  efpecially  which  relate  to  our  city  and  State. 
To  the  ftudent  in  this  field  of  hiftorical  refearch,  thefe 
latter  collections  furnifh  what  is  defcriptively  known 
as  a  "Working  Library."  The  mufeum,  in  its  ampli 
tude,  will  embrace  a  wider  and  more  extenfive  field, 
which  requires  in  comparifon  accommodations  on  a 
colojfaljcale. 

The  fpirit  of  the  age  commands  us  to  march  for 
ward.  Advance  we  mujl  I  we  cannot  remain  ftilll 
That  is  ftagnation — and  ftagnation  is  death.  Let  us 
bear  in  mind  the  motto  of  our  great  State — "  Excel- 
"  fior."  To  keep  pace  with  this  onward  march  we 
muft  rife  higher  and  for  loftier  ends. 

This  city  is  expofed  to  the  vices  of  the  great  cities 
abroad  which  immigration  introduces.  To  counter 
act  the  evils,  which  irreligion,  folly  and  wicked- 
nefs  have  thus  tranfplanted,  it  becomes  our  duty 
to  control  their  effecls,  and  then  eradicate  them, 
by  being  prepared  to  ftem  this  flood  and  make  it  fub- 
fervient  to  the  purpofes  which  minifter  to  focial  prog- 
refs.  Thefe  combined  refults  of  fuch  paramount 
influence  and  intereft  in  their  wide  and  beneficial 
operation  have  led  me  to  felect  the  fubjeft  which  I 
am  now  to  fubmit  for  your  fpecial  confideration,  in 
the  hope  that  it  will  not  only  greatly  promote  the 
future  welfare  of  our  Society,  but  have  a  benign  erred: 
upon  the  prefent  generation  and  upon  the  generations 
to  fucceed  it. 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  49 

The  fadl  of  focial  progrefs  carried  on  by  inevitable 
laws,  and  conftituting  God's  plan  in  hiftory,  may  be 
laid  to  be  a  modern  difcovery.  It  is  even  now  very 
imperfectly  underftood.  Vico13  was  the  firft  who  at 
tempted  to  elaborate  a  fcience  of  this  progrefs,  and 
has  left  fome  moft  valuable  materials  for  thofe  who 
fucceed  him  in  the  fame  field.  Fichte,14  Schelling16 
and  Hegel,'6  have  conftructed  ftupendous  fyftems  of 
thought,  which  are  likely  to  have  little  permanent 
influence  upon  fpeculations  on  this  fubject.  The  moft 
mafterly  attempt,  fo  far,  and  that  which  is  at  prefent 
moft  influential,  is  the  materialiftic  fyftem  of  Auguft 
Comte.17  While  we  may  not  accept  the  theories  of 
any  of  thefe  profound  thinkers  as  to  the  laws  by 
which  focial  progrefs  is  governed,  they  clearly  eftablim 
the  fact  of  fuch  progrefs,  and  mow  that  it  comes 
within  the  domain  of  fixed  and  definite  law.  The 
thought  of  our  time  is  ftill  ftriving  to  give  fcientific 
precifion  to  this  fact,  which  is  obfcurely  hinted  at 
even  by  the  ancient  poets,  who  fang  of  the  progrefs 
of  the  world  to  a  returning  golden  age.  Tennyfon 
has  given  expreflion  to  this  in  thofe  remarkable  lines  : 

"  I  doubt  not  through  the  ages  an  increafing  purpofe  runs, 

"  And  the  thoughts  of  men  are  widened  in  the  procefs  of  the  funs." 

Without  attempting  to  analyze  the  admitted  facts 
ot  this  progrefs,  it  is  only  neceflary  to  apprehend  fome 
of  the  more  prominent  forces,  by  which  it  is  im 
pelled,  in  order  to  fee  the  relation  to  them  of  Litera- 


50          The  Moral  and  IntelleEiual  Influence  of 

ture,  Science  and  Art.  The  moft  prominent  of  thefe 
forces  are:  ift.  The  intellectual  and  moral  impulfe 
given  to  the  world  by  works  of  genius  ;  2d.  The  move 
ment  of  Jcientific  difcovery  refulting  from  the  accumu 
lation  of  Jcientific  faffs  ;  jd.  The  regulating  and  ele 
vating  influence  of  Divine  Revelation.  Thefe  are  the 
principal  forces  by  which  focial  progrefs  is  carried  on. 
The  point  which  we  are  to  confider,  is  the  bearing  upon 
thefe  forces  of  the  accumulation,  in  fociety,  of  literary, 
fcientific,  moral  and  religious  influences,  as  contained 
efpecially  in  books. 

Thefe  forces  have  neceflarily  been  prefent  whenever 
there  has  been  any  development  of  civilization  ;  and 
whenever  there  has  been  any  fuch  development,  we 
find  alfo  the  accumulation  of  fuch  intellectual  treaf- 
ures  as  were  acceffible.  I  mail  in  the  firft  place  en 
deavor  to  give  prominence  to  this  fact,  by  briefly 
tracing  the  parallel  hiftories  of  Libraries  and  Civil 
ization. 

Perhaps  the  moft  ancient  library  of  which  we  have 
any  notice,  is  found  in  connection  with  one  of  the  moft 
ancient  civilizations  of  the  world.  Ofymandyas,  one  of 
the  early  kings  of  Egypt,  made  a  collection  of  books 
in  a  room  in  his  palace.  Over  the  entrance  was  in- 
fcribed  :  *TXH2  'IATPEION — "The  Difpenfary  of  the 
"  Soul."  Such  is  the  account  given  by  Diodorus.18 
Wilkinfon19  and  Champollion20  both  agree  that  the  pal 
ace  referred  to  by  Diodorus  ftill  remains  in  the  ruins 
known  as  the  "  Memnonium,"  or  "  Ramefium." 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrejs.  51 

Among  the  Hebrews,  two  of  the  great  forces  of 
civilization  were  constantly  prefent  and  active :  works 
of  genius  and  a  divine  revelation.  Thefe  were  brought 
into  contact  at  all  times  with  the  life  of  the  nation, 
by  the  reading  of  the  Sacred  Books  in  the  hearing  of 
the  people.  The  collection  of  thefe  books  formed, 
of  courfe,  the  national  library  of  the  Jews.  But  they 
had  alfo  collections  of  other  books,  efpecially  thofe 
relating  to  the  hiftory  of  the  nation.  Judas  Macca 
beus21  caufed  extracts  to  be  made  from  thofe  contained 
in  the  library  of  Nehemiah;  and  the  reafon  for  the 
making  of  thefe  extracts  is  exprefsly  faid  to  be  the 
multitude  of  books.  One  of  the  towns  taken  by  the 
Ifraelites  in  their  conqueft  of  Canaan  -was  Kirjath- 
fepher;  or,  as  the  words  mean,  "City  of  Books." 
The  Targum  calls  the  place  Kirjath-arche,  or  the 
"City  of  Archives."  This  is  undoubtedly  the  fame 
alluded  to  afterwards  as  Kirjath-fanah,2"  which,  in 
Arabic  and  Phoenician,  means  "City  of  Law."  Jofhua 
called  the  town  Debir,23  meaning  a  word  or  oracle. 
It  is  not  very  creditable  to  our  modern  civilization 
that  there  is  now  no  city  whofe  literary  treafures  are 
fo  confpicuous  as  to  entitle  it  to  the  name  of  the 
City  of  Letters,  or  the  City  of  Books.  The  effect  of  this 
literature,  efpecially  the  facred  part  of  it,  was  to  de 
velop  an  intenfely  ftrong  national  and  monotheiftic 
feeling  among  the  Jews;  and  it  is  this  peculiar  de 
velopment  of  their  civilization  which  has  made  them 
fo  influential  an  element  in  the  hiftory  of  the  world. 


52          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

Recent  difcoveries  are  rendering  more  clear  and 
precife  the  madowy  outlines  of  the  ftupendous  mon 
archies  of  the  Babylonian,  Aflyrian  and  Chaldean 
kings.  Certain  it  is  that  in  the  remote  period  in 
which  they  exifted,  they  occupied  almoft  the  entire 
field  of  hiftory.  As  might  be  expected,  therefore,  we 
find  traces  of  enormous  collections  of  records  or 
books.  In  the  palace  of  Nineveh  a  royal  library, 
confifting  of  clay-tablets,  has  been  found.  About 
twenty  thoufand  of  thefe  have  been  placed  in  the  Brit- 
ifh  Mufeum.  M.  Jules  Oppert  believes  thefe  to 
have  been  prepared  by  command  of  Sardanapalus  V. 
(about  B.  c.  650).  He  quotes  this  infcription: 
"Palace  of  Sardanapalus,  king  of  the  world;  king  of 
"  Aflyria,  to  whom  the  god  Nebo  and  the  goddefs 
"'Ourmit  have  given  ears  to  hear  and  eyes  to  fee  what 
"  is  the  foundation  of  Government.  They  have  re- 
"  vealed  to  the  kings,  my  predeceflbrs,  this  cuneiform 
"writing.  The  manifeftation  of  the  god  Nebo — of 
"  the  god  of  fupreme  intellect — I  have  written  it  up 
"  on  tablets — I  have  figned  it — I  have  put  it  in 
"  order — I  have  placed  it  in  the  midft  of  my  palace 
"  for  the  instruction  of  my  fubjects."' 

No  nation  has  exercifed  a  more  powerful  influence 
upon  the  intellectual  progrefs  of  the  world  than  the 
Greek ;  and  there  are  moft  conclufive  indications  that 
the  intellectual  treafures  of  that  people  were  preferved 
from  age  to  age  with  the  greateft  care.  Of  the  in- 
debtednefs  of  Homer  to  the  rich  ftores  of  knowledge 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  53 

which  before  his  time  had  been  accumulated,  I  mail 
have,  in  another  connection,  occafion  to  fpeak.  It  is 
ftated  on  the  authority  of  Aulus  Gellius  that  Pifif- 
tratus,  the  tyrant,  eftablifhed  a  public  library  in 
Athens,  in  which  he  depofited,  after  great  difficulty 
and  expenfe  in  fecuring  them,  the  works  of  Homer.  It 
is  ftated,  however,  by  Strabo  that  Ariftotle  was  the 
firft  to  eftablifh  a  library,  and  that  he  fuggefted  to  the 
Ptolemies  the  formation  of  the  renowned  collection  at 
Alexandria.  According  to  this  account,  Ariftotle  be 
queathed  his  library  to  Theophraftus,  and  Theo- 
phraftus  to  Neleus.  By  him  it  was  concealed  from 
the  kings  of  Pergamus  in  a  cave,  and  after  various 
viciffitudes  was  taken  by  Sylla  and  carried  to  Rome.25 

There  is  another  account,  however,  which  renders 
it  probable  that  a  part  of  this  library,  and  perhaps 
the  moft  valuable  portion  of  it,  was  long  before 
bought  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  and  transferred  to 
Alexandria.26 

It  is  through  this  wonderful  collection  at  Alexan 
dria,  chiefly,  that  the  products  of  the  Greek  mind 
have  entered  into  the  civilization  of  the  modern 
world.  This  fplendid  library  is  faid  to  have  been 
founded  about  B.  c.  290,  by  Ptolemy  Soter.27  It 
was  greatly  increafed  by  Ptolemy  Philadelphus  and 
Ptolemy  Euergetes.  Its  treafures  were  firft  depof 
ited  in  a  quarter  of  the  city  called  Bruchion,  where 
there  were  at  laft  collected  about  four  hundred 
thoufand  volumes.  After  that,  all  additions  were 

7 


54          The  Moral  and  IntelleSlual  Influence  of 

placed  in  the  temple  of  Serapis,  and  the  number  of 
volumes  here  finally  reached  three  hundred  thoufand. 
In  the  firft  Alexandrian  war  the  part  in  the  Bruchion 
was  accidentally  deftroyed  by  fire. 

The  library  in  the  temple  of  Serapis,  however,  re 
mained,  and  fubfequently  received  the  addition  of 
the  Permagean  library,  confifting  of  two  hundred 
thoufand  volumes,  prefented  by  Mark  Antony  to 
Cleopatra. 

It  was  finally  deftroyed  by  the  Saracens,  under  the 
order  of  the  Caliph  Omar,  in  642  of  the  Chriftian  era. 

It  is  fcarcely  poffible  to  exaggerate  the  indebted- 
'nefs  of  the  world  to  this  library  of  Alexandria.  It 
was  the  great  ftorehoufe  of  learning  for  nearly  a  thou 
fand  years.  It  bore  upon  its  melves  all  the  marvel 
ous  intellectual  wealth  of  Greece.  The  MSS.  of 
Grecian  literature,  now  depofited  in  the  libraries  of 
Europe,  and  from  which  our  editions  of  the  Grecian 
claffics  are  derived,  are  to  be  traced,  for  the  moft  part, 
through  a  greater  or  lefs  number  of  tranfcriptions,  to 
their  authors,  through  the  library  of  Alexandria.  Its 
powerful  influence  was  constantly  felt  in  the  Roman 
republic  and  empire,  to  which  it  imparted  the  prod 
ucts  of  the  Greek  mind.  We  hear  to-day,  in  the 
Roman  civilization,  the  voice  of  literature  and  fci- 
ence  and  art,  as  well  as  the  clam  of  arms,  becaufe 
the  library  of  Alexandria  exifted.  For  more  than  nine 
centuries,  Alexandria  was  the  venerable  mother  of 
the  intellectual  world. 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.'  55 

A  tafte  for  letters  having  been  developed  among 
the  Romans,  chiefly  through  the  influence  of  the  Alex 
andrian  library,  we  fhould  expect  them  foon  to  have 
libraries  of  their  own.  But  although  there  were  fome 
private  libraries,  there  feems  to  have  been  no  public 
one,  until  the  time  of  Julius  Caefar.  That  extraor 
dinary  man,  fo  wonderfully  in  advance  of  his  age,  faw 
clearly  the  neceffity  of  intellectual  culture  in  the  new 
focial  and  political  fyftem  which  he  was  about  to  in 
augurate.  He  committed  to  Varro  the  taflc  of  col 
lecting  a  Roman  library  on  a  magnificent  fcale.  This 
noble  defign  was  partially  fruftrated  by  the  aflamna- 
tion  of  Casfar  ;  but  there  are  indications  that  the  work 
was,  at  leaft,  commenced  by  Varro.  The  undertak 
ing  thus  conceived  by  Julius  Casfar  was  referved  for 
Auguftus  to  complete. 

The  elder  Pliny  afcribes  the  honor  of  the  fuggef- 
tion  of  public  libraries  under  the  Empire  to  Afinius 
Pollio,  who  eftablifhed  one  on  the  Aventine  Hill. 
Auguftus  erected  two  public  libraries — the  Octavian 
and  the  Palatine.  Tiberius  and  Vefpafian  each  found 
ed  a  library,  and  Domitian  reftored,  as  far  as  poffible, 
the  libraries  which  had  been  deftroyed  in  the  reign  of 
Nero.  The  moft  fplendid  library,  however,  in  Rome 
was  that  founded  by  the  Emperor  Ulpius  Trajanus, 
and  called  the  Ulpian  library.  It  was  erected  in  Tra 
jan's  forum;  but  its  treafures  were  afterwards  removed 
to  the  Baths  of  Diocletian,  the  ruins  of  which  ftill 
form  one  of  the  great  attractions  in  the  imperial  city. 


56          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

Thefe  magnificent  collections,  in  which  the  wealth  of 
Greek  and  Roman  literature  was  mingled,  were  de- 
ftroyed  by  fire,  or  fmitten  by  lightning;  and  after  up 
holding  and  adorning  the  mighty  civilization  which 
had  overfpread  the  world,  were  fcattered  by  the  Barba 
rians,  who  trampled  the  Empire  itfelf  into  the  duft. 
The  few  fragments  which  floated  over  the  univerfal 
chaos  into  which  fociety  was  refolved,  found  their  way 
at  laft  into  the  fecluded  retreats  of  monafteries,  and, 
under  the  protection  of  the  Church,  waited  for  the 
revival  of  learning,  when  they  entered  with  living 
power  into  the  vaft  developments  of  modern  civili 
zation. 

It  has  been  a  queftion  whether  literature  is  really 
indebted  to  monaftic  inftitutions,  and  whether  the 
monks  were  not  in  truth  its  worft  enemies.  The  man 
ner  in  which  this  difcuffion  has  been  carried  on  feems 
to  proceed  upon  the  fuppofition  that  all  monaftic  in 
ftitutions  muft  have  purfued  the  fame  policy,  and  all 
monks  been  animated  by  the  fame  fpirit.  The  fact 
evidently  is,  that  there  was  a  vaft  difference  among 
them.  In  fome  monafteries  there  was  a  fyftematic 
destruction  of  the  choiceft  treafures  of  antiquity,  while 
in  others  they  were  preferved  with  the  moft  religious 
care.  But  the  point  which  it  is  important  for  us  to 
confider  is,  that  in  thofe  cafes  in  which  this  care  was 
exercifed,  the  incalculable  benefit  was  conferred  upon 
the  world  of  the  prefervation  of  claffic  literature.  All 
monaftic  inftitutions,  it  muft  be  alfo  remembered, 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  57 

were  interefted  in  the  tranfcription  and  prefervation 
of  the  Scriptures  and  the  writings  of  the  Chriftian 
Fathers. 

At  the  fame  time,  the  continuance  of  the  Eaftern 
Empire  until  the  fifteenth  century  fecured  the  protec 
tion  of  Greek  learning.  For  many  years  before  the 
fall  of  Conftantinople  and  the  overthrow  of  the  Eaft 
ern  Empire,  learned  men  left  the  Eaft,  with  their  rich 
ftores  of  claffic  lore,  and  emigrated  to  fouthern  and 
weftern  Europe.  There  they  became  the  patrons  of 
learning — reviving  the  tafte  for  Greek  literature,  which 
had  become  almoft  extinct ;  gaining  accefs  themfelves 
(many  of  them  for  the  firft  time)  to  the  produces  of 
the  Latin  mind  ;  encouraging  the  collection  and  tran 
fcription  of  manufcripts,  and  contributing  power 
fully  to  the  great  revival  of  Letters  which  fpeed- 
ily  followed.28 

The  Monaftery  of  Monte-Caffino,  which  ftill  exifts, 
with  its  noble  patrimony,  in  fouthern  Italy  (ex- 
cepted,  as  a  homage  to  its  venerable  hiftory,  from  the 
operation  of  the  act  of  the  Government  of  Victor 
Emanuel,  which  is  leading  to  the  extinction  of  mon- 
afteries),  is  one  of  the  moft  confpicuous  examples 
of  the  fervices  rendered  to  learning  by  thefe  inftitu- 
tions.  From  this  ancient  and  renowned  feat  of  learn 
ing  originated  fimilar  communities,  which  fpread  them 
felves  over  Europe,  and  efpecially  in  the  Britifh  Ifles. 
Among  thefe  latter  were  the  monafteries  of  Yarrow, 
Wearmouth,  Bury  St.  Edmunds,  Croyland,  Whitby, 


58          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

Reading,  and  St.  Albans — in  all  of  which  books  were 
moft  carefully  preferred  and  tranfcribed.29 

The  difcovery  of  printing  opened  a  new  era  in  the 
hiftory  of  libraries  and  their  connection  with  focial 
progrefs.  Books  became  exceflively  multiplied,  and 
as  they  were  thus  brought  in  contact  with  a  greater 
number  of  minds,  the  confequence  was  an  immenfe 
increafe  in  the  number  of  authors.  Modern  libraries 
are,  therefore,  immeafurably  more  extenfi  ve  than  thofe 
of  antiquity  or  the  Middle  Ages.  The  number  of 
volumes  may  not  indeed  be  fo  much  greater ;  but  that 
arifes  from  the  fact  that  a  printed  volume  contains 
vaftly  more  than  a  volume  or  roll  of  MS. 

As  we  have  in  all  previous  hiftory  found  the 
growth  of  libraries  always  in  the  line  of  advancing 
civilization,  fo  in  our  own  day  we  find  them  prefent 
and  fteadily  increafing  at  all  the  great  centres  of  in 
fluence  and  power. 

Italy,  which  has  for  more  than  two  thoufand  years 
played  fo  prominent  a  part  in  hiftory,  is  peculiarly 
rich  in  libraries.  They  are,  however,  greatly  deficient 
in  modern  works,  except  fuch  as  relate  to  the  theology 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  Church.  I  can  only  allude  to 
fome  of  the  more  prominent  among  them.  In  Rome 
there  are  feveral  remarkable  libraries  befides  the  Vati 
can.  The  Barberini  Collection  has  about  40,000 
printed  volumes  and  7,000  MSS.  The  Cafanata 
Library,  named  from  its  donor,  Cardinal  Cafanate,  is 
in  the  Dominican  Convent  in  the  Piazza  della  M'l- 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrejs.  59 

nerva,  and  has  more  than  200,000  volumes.  The 
Angelica  Library  contains  more  than  84,000  volumes 
and  about  4,000  MSS.  The  Alexandrine  Library 
contains  about  80,000  volumes  and  3,000  MSS. 
The  Corfini  Library  has  about  60,000  volumes,  3,000 
MSS.,  and  60,000  engravings.  The  Francifcan  Li 
brary  has  between  40,000  and  50,000  volumes. 
The  Lancifiana  Library  has  from  30,000  to  40,000. 
The  Library  of  the  Roman  College  is  faid  to  contain 
70,000  volumes.  The  Library  of  the  Oratory  is 
chiefly  remarkable  for  its  MSS. 

The  Ambrofian  Library  at  Milan,  which  was 
founded  by  Cardinal  Federigo  Borromeo,  nephew  of 
St.  Charles  Borromeo,  poflefles  about  80,000  printed 
volumes  and  5,500  MSS.  The  Brera  Library  con 
tains  about  125,000  volumes  and  1,000  MSS. 

The  Library  of  Bologna  is  efpecially  rich  in  Ori 
ental  MSS.  There  are  550  of  Arabic  alone.  It  con 
tains  about  105,000  volumes  and  6,000  MSS.  The 
celebrated  Mezzofanti  was  for  a  long  time  its  libra 
rian. 

The  principal  libraries  in  Florence  are  the  Lauren- 
tian,  the  Magliabechiana,  the  Marucelliana,  the  Ric- 
cardiana,  and  the  Library  of  the  Belle  Arti.  The 
Mediceo  Laurentian,  which  was  founded  by  Cofmo 
de  Medici,  is  a  fplendid  collection  of  MSS.,  of  which 
there  are  about  7,000,  and  of  thefe  many  are  of  great 
rarity  and  value.  Magliabechi,  from  whom  the 
Magliabechiana  is  named,  was  a  fervant  to  a  dealer  in 


60         The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

vegetables,  but  raifed  himfelf  to  the  honorable  po- 
fition  of  librarian  to  the  Grand  Duke  of  Tufcany. 
It  contains  about  140,000  printed  books  and  10,000 
MSS.  The  Marucelliana  contains  33,435  volumes 
and  1,375  MSS.  The  Ricardiana  has  about  11,000 
volumes. 

There  are  four  public  libraries  in  Naples.  The 
Royal  Library  contains  about  200,000  volumes  and 
4,000  MSS.  The  Univerfity  poffeffes  25,000.  The 
Convent  of  St.  Philip  Neri  has  about  18,000.  The 
Brancacciana  contains  76,000  volumes  and  about 
1,000  MSS. 

The  libraries  of  Germany  are  of  great  extent  and 
immenfe  value.  It  is  impoffible  at  this  time  to  do 
more  than  to  glance  at  fome  of  the  moft  extenfive 
and  ufeful. 

The  Imperial  Library  of  Vienna  was  founded  in 
1440,  by  the  Emperor  Frederic  III.  It  confifts  of 
more  than  365,000  volumes  and  20,000  MSS.  The 
Univerfity  Library  of  Vienna  ranks  next  to  the  Im 
perial  Library.  In  1848  it  contained  more  than 
120,000.  The  Royal  Library  of  Munich  is  the 
largeft  in  Germany,  containing  between  400,000  and 
500,000  volumes  and  22,000  MSS.  The  King  of 
Saxony's  Public  Library  at  Drefden  contains  305,000 
volumes  and  2,800  MSS.  The  Library  of  Got- 
tingen  contains  360,000  volumes  and  3,000  MSS. 
The  Royal  Library  at  Berlin  contains  nearly  500,000 
volumes  and  10,000  MSS. 


HA 
Of  Trie. 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  61 

France  is  very  liberally  fupplied  with  libraries. 
Among  the  moft  confiderable  of  the  provincial  libra 
ries  are  thofe  of  Straflburg  with  180,000  books,  Lyons 
with  120,000,  Rouen  with  110,000,  Troyes  with 
100,000,  Aix  95,000,  Grenoble  and  Befan9on  each 
about  80,000,  Avignon  with  60,000,  Verfailles  with 
56,000,  Amiens  with  53,000,  Marfeilles  with  57,000, 
Touloufe,  Dijon  and  Nifmes  each  about  50,000, 
Nantes  with  45,000,  Caen  with  40,000,  Arras,  Douay, 
Chaumont,  Colmar,  Cambray,  Orleans,  Rheims,  Soif- 
fons,  Nancy,  Beaune  and  Montpellier  each  from  30,000 
to  35,000.  Thofe  of  the  capital,  befides  the  Biblio- 
theque  Imperiale,  are  the  Mazarine  with  132,000 
books  and  3,000  MSS.,  the  Library  of  the  Arsenal 
with  202,000  books  and  6,000  MSS.,  the  Library  of 
St.  Genevieve  with  180,000  books  and  3,500  MSS., 
the  City  Library  with  55,000  volumes,  the  Library  of 
the  Luxembourg  with  40,000  volumes,  the  Library  of 
the  Sorbonne  with  40,000  volumes  and  1,000  MSS., 
and  the  Library  of  the  Inftitute  with  about  80,000 
volumes. 

But  the  moft  fplendid  library  in  France,  and  in  the 
world,  is  the  Bibliotheque  Imperiale,  in  Paris.  It 
was  founded  by  King  John,  who  poflefled  only  from 
ten  to  twenty  volumes,  but  was  increafed  to  900  by 
Charles  V.  The  collection  was  afterwards  fcattered 
and  loft.  Louis  XL,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  fifteenth 
century,  laid  again  the  foundation  of  this  library. 
Great  additions  were  made  by  Francis  I.  Subfequent 

8 


62          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

monarchs  enriched  the  collection,  and  fcholars  added 
to  it  their  private  ftores.  At  the  clofe  of  the  feven- 
teenth  century  it  numbered  50,000  printed  books  and 
15,000  MSS.  In  1784  it  had  increafed  to  nearly 
200,000  volumes.  This  increafe  was  checked  for  a 
time  by  the  Revolution;  but,  in  1797,  an  addition 
of  500  MSS.  from  the  Vatican  was  made,  including 
the  ineftimable  Codex  Vaticanus.  In  1858  the  library 
had  increafed  to  the  prodigious  number  of  860,000 
printed  volumes,  86,000  volumes  of  MSS.,  300,000 
charts  and  deeds,  1,390,000  prints,  and  a  moft  perfect 
collection  of  maps,  charts,  &c.  It  is  acceffible  to  all, 
and  is  frequented  daily  by  from  300  to  400  readers. 
It  is  the  glory  of  France  to  have  accumulated  the 
largeft  and  moft  valuable  library  in  the  world. 

In  the  Britifh  Ifles  there  are  many  libraries  of  very 
great  value,  of  which  a  brief  notice  will  be  given. 

The  Library  of  the  Royal  Society  was  founded  in 
'1667,  by  the  noble  gift  which  John  Evelyn  induced 
Henry  Howard,  afterwards  Duke  of  Norfolk,  to  make 
to  the  Society.  It  contains  about  41,000  volumes, 
and  is  peculiarly  rich  in  works  upon  mathematics  and 
the  phyfical  fciences. 

Nearly  all  the  cathedrals  of  England  have  libraries 
of  greater  or  lefs  value,  of  which  that  of  Durham, 
enriched  by  the  benefactions  of  Dean  Sudbury  and 
Bifhop  Cofin,  is  perhaps  the  moft  important.  The 
library  founded  by  Archbiftiop  Bancroft,  in  the  reign 
of  James  I.,  and  which  was  placed,  until  recently,  in 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  63 

Lambeth  Palace,  now  occupies  a  noble  hall  built 
by  Archbifhop  Juxon.  This  library  contains  about 
25,000  MSS.,  which  are  divided  into  feven  fets, 
diftinguifhed  as  Codices,  Lambethiani,  Whartoniani, 
Carewani,  Tenifoniani,  Gibfoniani,  Miscellanei  and 
Suttonniani. 

The  Bodleian  Library  was  founded  by  Sir  Thomas 
Bodley  in  the  reign  of  Elizabeth.  It  has  been  in- 
creafed  by  numerous  and  princely  benefactions,  efpe- 
cially  by  Sir  Robert  Cotton;  Sir  Henry  Seville;  Arch 
bifhop  Laud  ;  John  Selden ;  Sir  Kenelmn  Digby ; 
Thomas,  Lord  Fairfax;  Dr.  Thomas  Barlow,  Bifhop 
of  Lincoln;  Richard  Gough ;  Francis  Douce,  and 
Robert  Mafon.  It  is  eftimated  to  contain  upwards 
of  256,000  volumes'  of  printed  books,  and  about 
22,000  volumes  MSS.  It  is  particularly  rich  in 
Oriental  MSS. 

The  Britifh  Mufeum,  which  takes  the  precedence 
of  all  libraries  in  the  Britifh  Empire,  may  be  faid  to 
have  been  formed  by  the  union  of  four  libraries  :  the 
Royal,  the  Cottonian,  the  Harleian  and  the  Sloanian. 
The  Royal  Library  dates  back  to  the  time  of  Henry 
VII.  It  was  increafed  by  the  collections  of  Cranmer 
and  Cafaubon.  Edward  VI.  added  to  it  the  important 
MSS.  of  Martin  Bucer.  The  rich  collection  of  the 
MSS.  belonging  to  the  Earl  of  Arundel  was  alfo 
added.  George  II.  conveyed  the  library  to  the 
Britifh  Mufeum.  The  Cottonian  Library  was  founded 
by  Sir  Robert  Bruce  Cotton,  who  collected  MSS. 


64         The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

illuftrating  the  early  hiftory  of  England.  His  fon, 
Sir  Thomas  Cotton,  and  his  grandfon,  Sir  John 
Cotton,  added  greatly  to  the  collection.  In  1700 
this  library  became  the  property  of  the  nation,  by  act 
of  Parliament,  and  was  opened  for  public  ufe.  The 
Sloanian  Library  was  founded  by  Sir  Hans  Sloan. 
At  his  death  he  bequeathed  it  to  the  Britim  nation, 
on  condition  that  £20,000  be  paid  to  his  executors — 
a  fum  lefs  than  one  fourth  of  the  value  of  the  col 
lection.  In  1753  Parliament  came  into  pofleffion  of 
this  noble  library,  and  alfo  of  the  Harleian  MSS. 
The  Cottonian  Library  was  added,  and  the  Montagu 
Houfe  purchafed  for  their  reception.  In  1759  tne 
Royal  Library  was  added  by  George  II.  Since  that 
time  the  additions  to  this  fplendid  foundation  have 
been  enormous.  The  buildings  alone,  fince  1823, 
have  coft  nearly  £700,000,  and  the  whole  expenditure 
has  been  upwards  of  £1,100,000.  The  books  occupy 
more  than  forty  miles  of  fhelves. 

The  libraries  of  Scotland,  Ireland,  Spain,  Portugal, 
Switzerland,  Holland,  Belgium,  Bohemia,  Hungary, 
Poland,  Ruffia  and  Turkey  are,  in  many  inftances, 
extenfive  and  valuable,  but  it  is  impracticable,  at 
prefent,  to  give  any  detailed  notice  of  them.30 

In  reviewing  thefe  enormous  collections  of  books 
and  MSS.  the  reflection  may  occur  to  fome  minds 
that  vaftly  the  greater  proportion  of  them  are  utterly 
ufelefs,  and  that  there  is  no  adequate  reafon  for  their 
accumulation  and  prefervation.  But  there  could  be 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  65 

no  greater  miftake  than  fuch  an  eftimate  as  this.  No 
one  can  tell  what  value  may  finally  come  to  be  at 
tached  to  that  which  is  apparently  the  moft  infignifi- 
cant  book  or  MS.  A  very  fingular  and  interefting 
illuflration  of  this  is  furnifhed  by  the  hiftory  of  libra 
ries.  This  illuftration  is  found  in  the  fact  of  the 
prefervation  for  feveral  centuries  in  one  of  the  libra 
ries  of  Rome  of  the  Report  of  Pontius  Pilate  of  the 
crucifixion  of  our  Saviour.  That  fuch  was  the  fact 
there  can  be  no  reafonable  doubt,  from  the  following 
confederations :  in  the  firft  place,  Pilate  was  required 
by  law  to  report  all  his  official  acts  to  the  emperor, 
and  that  he  did  fo  in  this  particular  cafe  cannot  be 
queftioned.  That  this  Report  was  depofited  in  the 
public  archives,  would  be  alfo  unquestionable,  even 
if  no  pofitive  evidence  exifted  that  fuch  was  the  cafe. 
Such  a  report  would  undoubtedly  be  depofited  in  the 
library  of  the  houfe  of  Tiberius,  which  was  in  ex- 
iftence,  with  that  of  Trajan,  in  the  Baths  of  Diocle 
tian,  early  in  the  fourth  century,  as  we  learn  from  the 
incidental  teftimony  of  Vopifcus.  The  only  great 
fires  by  which  thefe  records  could  have  been  en 
dangered  were  in  the  reigns  of  Nero  and  Titus.  But 
after  thefe  fires  it  is  certain,  from  the  teftimony  of 
Suetonius,  that  the  Commentaries  and  Acts  of  Tibe 
rius  Caefar  exifted.  From  that  time  no  caufe  likely 
to  have  occafioned  their  deftruction  is  known  to  have 
occurred  until  the  incurfions  of  the  Barbarians. 
Thefe  records  were  open  to  public  examination,  and 


66          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

were  appealed  to  by  the  early  Chriftians  as  furnifhing 
the  evidence  of  the  truth  of  their  ftatements  as  to  the 
circumftances  of  the  crucifixion  of  CHRIST.  At 
the  very  time  when  we  know  that  the  Acts  of  Ti 
berius  were  in  exiftence,  and  when  beyond  a  queftion 
the  reports  fent  to  him  from  the  governors  of  the 
provinces  were  in  exiftence  alfo,  we  find  this  ftate- 
ment  in  the  firft  Apology  of  Juftin  Martyr  prefented 
to  Antoninus  Pius  and  the  fenate  of  Rome  about  the 
year  A.  D.  140.  "That  thefe  things"  (referring  to  the 
crucifixion)  "were  fo  done,  you  may  know  from  the 
"  Acts  made  in  the  time  of  Pontius  Pilate."31  After 
wards,  having  mentioned  fome  of  our  Lord's  mira 
cles,  he  adds,  "and  that  thefe  things  were  done  by 
"  Him,  you  may  know  from  the  Acts  made  in  the 
"  time  of  Pontius  Pilate."32  Tertullian,  in  his  Apol 
ogy,  about  the  year  A.  D.  200,  appeals  alfo  to  thefe 
records  as  exifting  and  well  known  in  his  time. 
"Of  all  thefe  things,"  he  fays,  "relating  to  Chrift, 
"  Pilate,  in  his  confcience  a  Chriftian,  fent  an  account 
"  to  Tiberius,  then  emperor."33  In  another  place, 
fpeaking  of  the  darknefs  of  the  fky  at  the  crucifixion, 
he  fays,  "you  have  in  your  archives  the  relation  of 
"that  phenomenon  !"34 

In  the  fixteehth  chapter  of  "The  Decline  and  Fall 
"of  the  Roman  Empire,"  Gibbon  queftions  the  tefti- 
mony  of  Tertullian  as  to  this  Report  of  Pontius 
Pilate.  His  language  is — "  We  are  required  to  be- 
*clieve  that  Pontius  Pilate  informed  the  emperor  of 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  67 

"  the  unjuft  fentence  of  death  which  he  had  pro- 
"  nounced  againft  an  innocent,  and,  as  it  appeared,  a 
"divine  Perfon,  and  that  without  acquiring  the  merit 
"  he  expofed  himfelf  to  the  claims  of  martyrdom." 
The  fimple  point  to  be  eftablifhed  is  this,  that  fuch  a 
report  from  Pontius  Pilate  was  in  exiftence  in  the 
Roman  archives  in  the  time  of  Tertullian,  or  about 
two  hundred  years  after  the  birth  of  Chrift.  The 
firft  thing  to  be  confidered  is  the  fact  that  the  gov 
ernors  of  the  provinces  reported  their  official  acts  to 
the  government  at  Rome.  This  is  evident  from 
Pliny's  letters  to  Trajan,  and  from  Philo's  ftatement 
that  the  Acts  or  Memoirs  of  Alexandria  were  fent  to 
Caligula.35  The  circumftances  of  Pilate's  courfe  were 
fuch  as  to  render  it  more  than  ordinarily  neceflary  that 
fuch  a  report  mould  be  made.  His  hefitation  in 
paffing  fentence  upon  Jefus  was  moft  likely  to  give 
an  occafion  to  the  Jews  of  criticifm  and  complaint. 
Some  explanation  would  therefore  be  required  from 
Pilate,  who  could  give  no  better  juftification  of  his 
courfe  than  his  eflimate  of  the  character  of  Jefus,  the 
wonderful  phenomena  of  the  crucifixion,  and  the  fact 
that  he  condemned  him  to  be  crucified,  only  becaufe 
he  was  unable  to  refift  the  demands  of  the  Jews.  The 
circumftances  of  the  cafe,  therefore,  would  render  it  ia 
the  higheft  degree  probable,  independently  of  any 
other  confideration,  that  a  report  on  this  fubject  was 
fent  by  Pilate  to  Tiberius. 

When  received,   this  report  would,   of  courfe,  be 


•68          The  Moral  and  Intelleftual  Influence  of 

depofited  among  the  Commentaries  and  Acts  of  Tibe 
rius.  Thefe  documents,  under  the  name  of  the 
Library  of  the  Houfe  of  Tiberius,  feem,  from  the 
teftimony  of  Suetonius,  to  have  been  firft  depofited  in 
the  Apollineum.36  In  the  time  of  Aulus  Gellius,  a 
contemporary  of  Juftin  Martyr,  they  were  in  the 
Temple  of  Trajan.37  Vopifcus,  early  in  the  fourth 
century,  ftates  that  he  made  ufe  of  books  from  the 
Library  of  the  Houfe  of  Tiberius,  which,  in  his  time, 
was  in  the  Baths  of  Diocletian.38  It  is  certain,  there 
fore,  that  the  library  in  which  this  Report  would  really 
have  been  depofited,  and  of  which  it  would  form  a  part, 
was  in  exiftence  in  the  time  of  Juftin  Martyr  and  of 
Tertullian,  and  until  the  fourth  century. 

The  next  point  to  be  confidered,  is  that  the  tefti 
mony  of  Juftin  Martyr  and  Tertullian  is  not  to  be 
difcredited  by  the  ftatements  by  which  it  is  accompa 
nied,  or  by  the  additions  to  the  ftory  which  were  fub- 
fequently  made,  or  by  the  pretended  acts  of  Pilate, 
which  are  extant  at  the  prefent  day.  Tertullian  ftates 
that  Tiberius,  on  the  receipt  of  the  account  of  our 
Saviour's  death,  propofed  to  the  Senate  that  he  fhould 
be  placed  among  the  gods.3'J  Whether  this  is  true  or 
not,  it  does  not  affect  the  credibility  of  the  teftimony 
under  confederation.  In  the  cafe  of  this  ftatementas 
to  the  propofal  of  Tiberius,  Tertullian  may  or  may 
not  be  fpeaking  of  fomething  within  his  own  know 
ledge.  In  the  cafe  of  the  Report  of  Pilate,  he  fpeaks 
as  if  of  his  own  knowledge  of  a  then  exifting  fact. 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  69 

The  account,  as  we  have  it  in  Juftin  Martyr  and 
Tertullian,  is  amplified  with  the  addition,  doubtlefs, 
of  fome  incorrect  ftatements,  by  Eufebius,10  Chryfof- 
tom,41  Orofius,42  Zonares,43  and  Nichephorus  ;44  but 
thefe  additions,  even  if  incorrect:,  do  not  affect  the 
credibility  of  the  original  witnefles  ;  neither  is  their 
credibility  affected,  or  the  ftatements  which  they  make 
rendered,  in  any  degree,  lefs  probable  by  the  various 

documents  purporting  to  be  "Acts  of  Pilate"  which 
fubfequently  appeared.  Some  of  thefc  are  now  extant, 

having  been  collected  by  Fabricius  and  Tifchendorf. 
The  fact  of  thefe  forgeries  rather  indicates  the  exiftence 
of  a  true  original,  upon  the  credit  of  which  they  ob 
tained  circulation. 

But  whatever  opinion  may  be  entertained  as  to  the 
truftworthinefs  of  Juftin  Martyr  and  Tertullian, 
it  is  to  be  remembered  that  each  prefented  to  the 
Roman  Government  a  vindication  of  the  Chriftian 
faith,  and  in  this  vindication  aflerts,  as  a  fact,  than 
which  nothing  could  have  been  more  eafily  difproved, 
if  it  were  not  true,  that  Pilate  made  a  report  of  the 
crucifixion  of  JESUS  to  Tiberius,  and  that  this  report 
was  in  the  archives  of  the  State.  It  is  incredible  that 
fuch  a  ftatement  would  have  been  hazarded,  under  fuch 
circumftances,  unlefs  it  had  been  known  to  be  true. 

It  is  a  fignificant  fact  that  Tacitus  connects  the 
name  of  Chrift  with  that  of  Pontius  Pilate.45  This 
is  referred  to  by  Frederic  von  Schlegel,  who  receives 
the  ftatement  of  Tertullian  as  true.46 


jo          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

Now,  fince  Pontius  Pilate  muft  have  made  fuch  a 
report  to  Tiberius,  fince  the  library  in  which  it  would 
moft  naturally  have  been  depofited  was  in  exiftence 
in  the  fourth  century,  fince  the  Commentaries  and 
Acts  of  Tiberius  were  in  exiftence  in  the  time  of  Do- 
mitian,  in  the  latter  part  of  the  firft  century,  and  no 
caufe  adequate  to  their  deftruction  is  known  to  have 
occurred  from  that  time  until  the  inroads  of  the  Bar- 
barianSj  and  fince  this  report  is  appealed  to  by  Juftin 
Martyr  about  A.  D.  140,  and  by  Tertullian  about 
A.  D.  200,  each  in  an  addrefs  to  the  very  perfons  in 
whofe  cuftody  fuch  a  record,  if  there  were  one,  would 
be  kept,  the  fact  of  its  exiftence  is  beyond  reafonable 
difpute,  and  furnifhes  a  moft  interesting  and  conclu- 
five  proof  of  the  important  fervices  which  the  col 
lection  and  prefervation  of  public  records  have  ren 
dered  to  the  world. 

Works  of  genius  have  been  referred  to  as  confti- 
tuting  one  of  the  great  moving  forces  in  human 
progrefs.  A  common  idea  in  regard  to  genius  is  that 
it  is  an  original  power,  to  a  great  extent  independent 
of  the  intellectual  ftores  which  have  previoufly  been 
accumulated.  A  moment's  confideration  of  thofe 
great  works  of  genius,  which  have  commanded  the 
admiration  and  elevated  the  character  of  the  world, 
will  fatisfy  us  of  the  high  degree  in  which  they  are 
dependent  upon  the  whole  previous  intellectual  devel 
opment  of  the  race. 

If  we  go  far  back  in  the  hiftory  of  the  world,  to  the 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  71 

time  when  Homer  fang  his  immortal  Epic,  in  the 
early  morning  of  Grecian  poetry,  philofophy  and  art, 
we  mail  find  that  the  materials  of  this  wonderful  work 
are  not  newly  created.  They  exift  in  the  thought  and 
life  of  the  previous  ages,  and  Homer  has  only  tranf- 
fufed  them  with  the  vital  power  of  his  immortal 
genius,  and  thus  made  them  a  living  energy  for  all 
coming  time.  Mr.  Gladftone47  has  traced,  with  won 
derful  analytic  power,  the  development,  from  the  great 
primeval  revelation,  of  the  focial,  philofophical  and 
religious  fyftems  of  the  Homeric  age.  The  refults  of 
this  development  Homer  muft  have  had  at  his  com 
mand  ;  and  the  perfect  familiarity  with  them,  by 
which  he  was  enabled  to  enter  into  the  advancing 
thought  of  his  age,  was  the  condition  upon  which  he 
obtained  his  overmaftering  influence  and  his  immortal 
fame. 

Take  the  cafe  of  Dante,  whofe  Divina  Commedia 
marks  the  refurrection-morning  of  Italian  and,  indeed, 
of  European  literature.  There  is  no  ifolation  on  his 
part  from  the  great  paft.  On  the  contrary,  it  is  only 
becaufe  he  gathered  it  up  in  all  its  vaft  details  into 
himfelf,  that  he  has  been  able  fo  marveloufly  to  en 
rich  the  world.  The  very  fact  that  Virgil  appears  as 
his  guide  through  the  invifible  world,  is  a  fignificant 
indication  of  the  links  which  bind  him  to  the  realm 
of  letters  in  the  Roman  and  the  Grecian  ages  ;  while 
the  ecclefiaftical  learning,  which  is  apparent  on  every 
page,  and  the  whole  metaphyfical  fyftem  of  mediaeval 


72          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

philofophy,  which  he  has  condenfed  in  his  extraor 
dinary  poem,  fhow  that  he  followed  the  thread  of 
thought  from  ancient  down  to  modern  times. 

Turn  your  thoughts  now  to  Shakefpeare !  Here 
you  would  expect,  perhaps,  to  find  almoft  an  intel 
lectual  creation  ex  nihilo,  an  original  force  aflerting 
itfelf  in  entire  independence  of  previous  thought. 
But  an  examination  of  his  marvelous  works,  which 
have  exercifed  fuch  a  ftupendous  influence  upon  the 
Anglo-Saxon  mind,  will  mow  us  the  innumerable 
points  at  which  they  are  linked  in  with  the  previous 
intellectual  development  of  the  world.  At  the  touch 
of  this  magician,  the  hiftory  and  the  poetry,  the  phi 
lofophy  and  the  art  of  claffic  ages  reappear ;  the  old 
traditions  and  mythologies  of  northern  barbarians 
come  forth  from  the  darknefs  of  their  fepulchres,  and 
the  new  philofophy,  into  which  all  previous  growth 
had  finally  flowed,  moves  everywhere  in  the  two-fold 
form  of  revealed  religion  and  inductive  fcience,  deter 
mining  the  character  and  progrefs  of  the  modern 
world.  There  is,  it  is  true,  a  power  of  intuition  in 
genius  ;  but  no  intuition  can  make  one  familiar  with 
the  intellectual  ftores  of  the  paft,  unlefs  thofe  ftores 
are  collected  and  explored.  It  is  the  intuition  of 
genius  which  enables  one  to  perceive  what  ideas,  in 
all  this  vaft  accumulation,  are  living  and  eternal ; 
and  thefe  ideas  are  wrought  into  new  and  captivating 
forms,  in  which,  henceforth,  they  lead  in  the  progrefs 
of  mankind.  It  was  only  becaufe  the  capacious  mind 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  73 

of  Shakefpeare  became,  to  fuch  an  extent,  the  recep 
tacle  of  univerfal  knowledge,  that  he  is,  in  fo  great  a 
degree,  a  univerfal  man. 

Take  but  one  more  example,  in  the  cafe  of  Goethe. 
Poflefled  of  the  moft  wonderful  genius  of  any  man 
fince  Shakefpeare,  he  had  attained,  alfo,  the  wideft 
culture.  There  is  fcarcely  any  field  of  literature,  fci- 
ence  or  art  which  he  had  not  explored.  His  works 
are  an  epitome  of  German,  and,  indeed,  of  all  phi- 
lofophy.  The  principles  of  all  previous  criticifm  are 
analyzed  and  reduced  to  a  fyftem  and  fcience.  The 
controling  ideas  of  the  age  have  clearer  expreflion 
given  to  them,  and  enter  upon  a  new  era  of  influence 
in  fociety.  The  materials  which  he  has  wrought  into 
his  marvelous  creations  were  fcattered  everywhere 
throughout  all  hiftory,  and  in  every  department  of 
thought.  He  finds  them  in  the  majeftic  intellectual 
repofe  of  Egypt  and  the  Eaft ;  in  the  multitudinous 
activity  of  the  Grecian  mind ;  in  the  Roman  poetry, 
oratory,  ethics  and  ftatemanmip ;  in  the  dreamy 
fpeculations  of  the  middle  ages  ;  and  in  the  vaft  con 
tinents  of  mental  wealth  which  modern  refearch  has 
difcovered  and  explored.  The  rich  accumulations  of 
the  paft  enabled  him  to  give  a  new  impulfe  to  the 
future.  There  is  thus  evident  a  moft  intimate  rela 
tion  between  the  accumulation  of  literary  ftores  in 
libraries,  the  development  of  genius,  and  the  pro 
viding  of  it  with  the  inftruments  of  its  mighty  in 
fluence. 


74          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

There  is  danger,  however,  that  we  mall  not  have 
any  adequate  idea  of  the  importance  of  collecting  and 
preferving  books,  apparently  the  mod  worthlefs,  as 
well  as  thofe  which  have  vindicated  their  claim  to  be 
regarded  as  ftandard  works.  We  may  admit  that  the 
works  of  the  great  poets,  philofophers  and  ftatefmen 
of  the  world  mould  be  preferved  in  all  our  libraries, 
but  we  may  not  unreafonably  inquire  of  what  poffible 
ufe  it  can  be  to  perpetuate  the  exiftence  of  that  which 
is  evidently  utterly  unworthy  to  exift  ?  In  reply  to 
this  inquiry  it  may  be  faid,  that,  without  taking  into  ac 
count  the  fact  that  we  may  be  miilaken  in  our  eftimate, 
and  that  which  we  pronounce  worthlefs,  the  future  may 
find  to  be  of  unfpeakable  value;  I  fay,  without  taking 
this  into  account,  the  very  worthleffhefs  o'f  fuch  pro 
ductions  may  be  a  fact,  which  it  will  be  at  fome  time, 
moft  important  to  know.  In  eftimating  the  effects 
of  various  fyftems,  focial,  political  or  intellectual, 
upon  the  mind  or  character,  the  difcovery  of  fome 
obfcure  pamphlet,  written  under  certain  influences 
which  may  be  under  confideration,  will  oftentimes 
prove  a  very  important  witnefs,  and  throw  unex 
pected  light  upon  the  queftion  involved.  Every  re 
flecting  reader  of  Buckle,  who  has  made,  perhaps,  the 
moft  elaborate  attempt  to  treat  the  Hiftory  of  Civili 
zation  inductively,48  muft  have  noticed  how  con- 
ftantly  he  appeals  to  evidence  furnifhed  by  what  is 
ufually  confidered  the  mere  rubbifh  of  our  great  li 
braries.  Upon  this  evidence,  thus  collected  from  the 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  75 

moft  obfcure  fources,  the  character  of  epochs  is  in  a 
great  meafure  determined,  and  the  foundations  of 
focial  fyftems  laid.  If  his  conclufions  are  not  always 
logically  drawn,  or  his  theories  found,  he  has  ftill 
incidentally  eftablifhed  the  value,  at  leaft  in  his  de 
partment  of  philofophical  hiftory,  of  every  product 
of  thought  in  every  age.  Their  importance  in  the 
department  efpecially  of  phyfical  fcience,  we  mail  fee 
as  we  proceed. 

The  inductive  method  of  inveftigation  has  difclofed 
the  true  fecret  of  the  progrefs  of  the  phyfical  fciences. 
Two  things  are  abfolutely  requifite  in  this  progrefs — 
fads  and  ideas.  According  to  the  conception  preva 
lent  down  to  the  time  of  Lord  Bacon,  the  obferva- 
tion  of  fads  was  deemed  of  but  little  confequence, 
and  even  unworthy  of  a  philofopher.  The  difcovery 
of  natural  laws  was  to  be  attained  by  an  effort  of  the 
mind,  occupied  alone  with  the  ideas  and  principles  of 
nature.  As  an  inevitable  confequence,  fcience  was 
fterile,  and  no  increafe  was  realized.  If  difcoveries 
were  made  at  all,  they  were  the  refults  of  a  happy  ac 
cident.  But  juft  fo  foon  as  the  true  method  of  in 
veftigation  came  to  be  clearly  underftood,  the  prog 
refs  of  fcience  became  wonderfully  rapid,  and  has  at 
laft  culminated  in  the  brilliant  and  beneficent  dif 
coveries  of  the  prefent  age.  It  is  to  be  remembered, 
alfo,  that  there  muft  be  the  obfervation  of  fads,  not 
only  in  order  that  fcientific  theories  may  be  fuggefted 
to  the  mind,  but  that  they  may  alfo  be  verified.  It 


7  6          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

is  in  the  conftant  obfervation  of  phenomena  that  the 
true   progrefs  of  fcience  is  to  be  found.     The   more 
extenfive  the  induction  of  facts,  the  wider  its  fweep, 
and  the  more  comprehenfive  its  details  in  relation  to 
any  fubject,  the  more  probable  is  the  attainment  of 
fatisfactory  refults.      Every  new  obfervation  is  there 
fore  fo  much  added  to  the  treafury  of  fcience,  and  the 
fcientific  achievements  of  to-day  reft  upon  innumer 
able  obfervations  of  nature  in  the  paft.      It  is  impof- 
fible,  therefore,  to  exaggerate  the  importance  of  pre- 
ferving  all  the  records  of  obfervations  which  at  any 
time  have  been  made  in  the  realm  of  nature.      If  they 
are  not  needed  now,  they  may  be  needed,  and  no  one 
can  tell  how  greatly,  in  the  future.      The  time  may 
come,  and  is  moft  likely  to  come,  when  fome  earneft 
feeker  after  truth  will  find  in  an  obfcure  work,  in  one 
of  our  great   libraries,   fome  recorded  obfervation  of 
phenomena   that   will  reveal   to  him   the   fecret  of  a 
natural  law  which  it  is  of  the  higheft   importance  for 
fociety  to  underftand.     Take  any  of  the  great  difcov- 
eries  of  the  laws   of  nature  which   have   been    made. 
They  are  not  due  chiefly  to  the  genius  of  thofe  who 
made  them.     The  accumulation  of  facts,  which  had 
become  the  pofleffion  of  fociety,  rendered  the  difcov- 
eries  of  Kepler  and  Newton  inevitable,  and  they  be 
came  the  difcoverers  only  becaufe  they  were  able  to 
interpret  thefe  facts  more  quickly  than  others.     If  the 
knowledge  of  facts  is  within  reach,  there  will  always 
be  men  who  will  penetrate  to  the  laws  which  control 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  77 

them.  Nothing  then  can  conduce  more  greatly  to 
the  progrefs  of  fcience,  and  therefore  to  the  ma 
terial  welfare  of  fociety,  than  the  accumulation  and 
prefervation  of  books  which  contain  the  records  of 
obferved  phenomena. 

Every  department  of  fcience  furnifhes  abundant  il- 
luftrations  of  this  ;  but  perhaps  it  is  nowhere  more 
beautifully  illuftrated  than  in  the  hiftory  of  difcov- 
eries  in  optics.  As  we  trace  this  wonderful  courfe 
of  fteadily-progreffing  difcovery  up  to  the  moft  bril 
liant  and  ftartling  refults,  we  fee  how  each  ftep  refts 
upon  the  whole  previous  accumulation  of  obferved 
fads. 

Notwithftanding  the  averfion  of  ancient  philofophy 
to  the  inductive  method,  Ptolemy  had  made  obferva- 
tions  upon  the  angles  of  the  refraction  and  incidence 
of  light.  Thefe  obfervations  were  carefully  confidered, 
and  in  certain  points  corrected,  by  the  Arabian  ma 
thematician  Alhazen.  He  alfo  gives  directions  for 
making  experimental  meafures  of  refraction.  Thefe 
obfervations  and  hints  as  to  experiments  led  Vitello, 
who  lived  in  the  thirteenth  century,  to  thofe  inveftiga- 
tions  which  are  to  be  found  in  his  work  on  optics  ; 
but  ftill  the  true  law  of  refraction  was  not  difcovered. 
Kepler  wrote  a  fupplement  to  Vitello,  and  attempted 
to  reduce  his  obfervations  to  a  law,  but  while  making 
progrefs  in  the  right  direction,  reached  only  an  ap 
proximately  correct  refult.  From  this  point,  how 
ever,  Willebrod  Snell  conducted  his  inveftigations 

10 


78          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

until  he  difcovered  the  law,  as  it  is  called,  of  the 
fines.  This  led  to  the  difcovery  of  the  true  expla 
nation  of  the  rainbow  by  Defcartes.  Thefe  obferva- 
tions  and  refults  further  led  to  the  difcovery  of  the 
law  of  difperfion  by  refraction,  and  fo  to  the  wonder 
ful  difcovery,  by  Sir  Ifaac  Newton,  of  the  unequal 
refrangibility  of  different  rays  of  light.  The  difcuf- 
fion  of  the  Newtonian  theories,  by  Sir  David  Brew- 
fter  and  the  celebrated  Goethe,49  laid  the  foundations 
of  thofe  wonderful  refults  which  have  been  reached 
by  more  modern  laborers  in  the  fame  field — Young 
and  Frefnel  and  Biot  and  Faraday  and  Wollafton 
and  Frauenhofer,  not  to  mention  many  others  in  the 
fame  departments  who  have  obtained  honorable  dif- 
tinction.  Thefe  refults  are  to  be  feen  in  the  brilliant 
difcoveries  in  photography,  which  have  added  fo  much 
to  the  beauty  and  effectivenefs  of  fcience  and  art  in 
our  day.  They  are  to  be  feen  alfo  in  the  wonderful 
conclufions  to  which  the  afcertained  fad;  of  the  polari 
zation  of  light  has  led  as  to  the  ultimate  conftitution 
of  matter.  And  more  aftonifhing  and  ftartling  than 
all,  is  the  recent  difcovery  of  fpectral  analyfis,  which 
detects  with  unfailing  accuracy  the  prefence  of  the 
moft  minute  fubftances,  enables  us  to  tell  the  ele 
ments  of  which  funs  and  ftars  are  compofed,  and  to 
refolve  the  mighty  nebulae  upon  the  far-off"  confines 
of  creation  !50 

Now,  all  this  progrefs  has  been  due  to  the  accumu 
lation   of  facts   in    this    one    department    of  fcience. 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  70 

Every  recorded  obfervation,  even  when  made  the 
bafis  of  a  falfe  theory,  has  yet  been  a  ftep  in  this  on 
ward  march,  and  has  contributed  to  the  final  refult. 
But  we  are  to  remember  that  this  is  but  one  of  the  in 
numerable  departments  of  fcience,  and  by  no  means 
the  moft  fertile  in  practical  and  beneficial  application. 
The  fame  principle  holds  good  in  relation  to  all. 
The  accumulation  and  prefervation  of  obferved  fads 
and  experiments  alone  infure  that  rapid  development 
of  fcience  which  is  conferring  fuch  benefit  and  glory 
upon  the  prefent  age.  The  extent  to  which  our 
interefts  are  affected  by  fcientific  inveftigation  is  in 
calculable.  There  is  no  avenue  to  wealth  which  is 
not  within  the  domain  of  fcience.  Whatever  relates 
to  navigation,  to  agriculture,  to  mining  operations, 
to  the  various  tranfactions  of  trade ;  all  that  belongs 
to  focial  inftitutions  and  to  civil  government ;  what 
ever  is  involved  in  fanitary  reform,  the  prevention 
and  cure  of  difeafe,  and  the  promotion  of  phyfical 
vigor ;  the  whole  fcheme  of  charitable  efforts  for  the 
amelioration  of  the  evils  of  pauperifm  and  the  focial 
and  moral  elevation  of  mankind ;  all  thefe,  in  all 
their  vaft  extent  and  relations,  are  dependent  upon 
the  progrefs  of  fcience,  and  are  directly  promoted  in 
their  efficiency  and  excellence  by  the  collection  and 
prefervation  of  recorded  facts  in  all  the  departments 
to  which  they  relate. 

Having  thus  confidered  the  influence  of  works  of 
genius  and   of  fcientific   inveftigation  in  focial   prog- 


8o         The  Moral  and  Intellettual  Influence  of 

refs,  we  have  only  to  confider,  in  conclufion,  the  in 
fluence  of  moral  and  religious  ideas,  and  the  bearing 
upon  them  of  collections  of  intellectual  wealth  in  li 
braries.  This  will  require  only  a  brief  confederation. 
Moral  and  religious  ideas  conftitute  the  permanent 
and  ftationary  influences  in  focial  progrefs,  juft  as 
fcientific  difcoveries  conftitute  the  progreffive.  It  is 
not  true,  however,  that  morals  and  religion  are  not 
alfo  in  a  very  high  fenfe  progreffive.  The  difference 
is  this — fcience  depends  entirely  upon  difcovery, 
whereas  difcovery  is  a  very  inferior  element  in  morals 
and  religion.  Moral  and  religious  ideas  proceed  from 
intuition  and  revelation.  They  are  more  clearly  ap 
prehended  from  one  generation  to  another ;  but  ftill 
the  elements  out  of  which  moral  and  religious  fyftems 
are  formed  are  always  prefent  in  the  intuitive  opera 
tions  of  the  mind,  and  in  the  revelation  which  we 
have  from  God.  But  while  this  is  fo,  there  is  need 
of  conftant  influences  in  fociety  to  lead  men  to  the 
recognition  and  acceptance  of  thefe  moral  and  re 
ligious  principles.  Thefe  influences  are  of  various 
kinds,  but  not  the  leaft  powerful  among  them  is  the 
effect,  in  a  community,  of  a  library  on  a  large  and 
liberal  fcale,  comprifing  the  intellectual  wealth  of  all 
generations.  The  moral  and  religious  influence  ex 
erted  by  fuch  a  library  is  manifold.  It  fubftitutes  a 
falutary  pleafure  for  grofs  and  vicious  indulgences, 
and  confers  a  moral  benefit  by  propofing  intellectual 
inftead  o^fenfual  gratification.  Scarcely  anything  is 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  81 

more  calculated  to  confer  pleafure,  and  at  the  fame 
time  to  elevate  the  foul,  than  familiarity  with  the 
works  of  the  great  writers  of  the  world. 

If  a  community  can  be  educated  into  a  tafte  for 
literary  culture  and  the  beautiful  productions  of  art, 
and  the  halls  of  a  great  metropolitan  library  be  thrown 
open  to  the  young,  a  powerful  influence  will  be  exer- 
cifed  to  reftrain  diffipation  and  to  raife  the  tone  of 
public  thought  and  feeling. 

Moral  and  religious  impreffions  in  a  community 
are  exceedingly  dependent  upon  the  influence  of  books, 
and  the  cultivation  of  a  tafte  for  the  fine  arts.  Books 
bring  to  bear  upon  us  the  example  of  the  great  and 
good.  The  record  of  their  virtues,  achievements  and 
facrifices,  in  all  ages,  imprefles  the  imagination,  excites 
emulation  and  roufes  action. 

But,  befides  thefe  general  impreflions  and  influences, 
the  literature  of  the  world  is  full  of  pofitive  teftimonies 
to  the  power  and  renovating  effect  of  Chriftianity 
upon  man  and  the  focial  ftate.  No  one  can  atten 
tively  ftudy  the  hiftory  of  the  Chriftian  centuries 
without  difcerning  a  force  in  human  affairs,  which  is 
wielded  by  no  human  arm,  which  is  the  product  of  no 
mere  natural  laws,  but  which  is  divinely  originated 
and  divinely  directed  for  the  higheft  welfare  of  man 
kind.  Moft  certain  is  it,  to  the  hiftorical  ftudent, 
that  the  progrefs  of  the  race  is  inevitably  towards  the 
adoption  and  univerfal  application  of  the  great  funda- 
^mental  Chriftain  ideas.  The  clearer,  however,  is  the 


82          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

•underftanding  of  this  in  the  world,  the  more  rapidly 
will  this  progrefs  be  accomplifhed.  Whatever,  there 
fore,  illuftrates  the  hiftory  and  influence  of  Chriftian- 
ity — whatever  ferves  as  a  bulwark  to  the  evidences  of 
Chriftain  faith — whatever  elevates  and  fpiritualizes 
the  tone  of  thought  and  feeling,  exercifes  a  moft 
falutary  effect  upon  the  moral  and  religious  character 
of  the  community. 

Now  it  is  amazing  to  what  extent  Chriftian  ideas 
pervade  the  literature  of  the  Chriftian  world!  No 
one  would  imagine  it,  had  it  not  been  made  a  fpecial 
fubject  of  inquiry.  To  fuch  a  degree  is  this  true, 
that  it  has  been  aflerted,  and  without  doubt  on  good 
foundation,  that  if  the  Scriptures  of  the  Old  and  New 
Teftamant  were  deftroyed,  they  could  be  replaced 
from  the  writings  of  the  firft  four  centuries  of  the 
Chriftian  era.  And  not  only  is  this  fo,  but  hiftory, 
poetry  and  art  are  full  to  repletion  of  Chriftian  fenti- 
ments  and  ideas  ;  fo  that  it  is  fcarcely  poffible  to  come 
in  contact  anywhere  with  modern  thought  and  invefti- 
gation  without  finding  ourfelves  in  the  prefence  of  the 
great  verities  of  the  Chriftian  faith. 

It  is  not  eafy,  therefore,  to  exaggerate  the  influence 
of  libraries  in  contributing  to  that  force  in  focial  prog 
refs,  which  proceeds  from  the  moral  and  religious 
ideas,  which  are  bafed  upon  a  divine  revelation.  If, 
therefore,  we  would  ftrengthen  the  influences  of  thefe 
ideas  in  all  their  manifold  applications  to  the  duties 
^of  honefty,  integrity  and  benevolence,  of  loyalty  to 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  85 

government  and  law,  and  of  univerfal  brotherhood 
we  mall  do  well  to  bring  that  intellectual  wealth 
which  furvives  the  deftroying  influence  of  time,  be- 
caufe  it  has  truth  in  it,  to  bear,  in  large  meafure, 
upon  the  thought  and  feeling  of  our  age. 

I  have  thus  prefented  the  various  departments  of 
the  fubject  which  has  been  under  confideration.  We 
have  feen  the  hiftory  of  libraries  running  parallel  with 
the  hiftory  of  civilization.  We  have  feen  their  influ 
ence  upon  the  great  moving  forces  of  focial  progrefs, 
works  of  genius,  fcientific  difcovery,  and  moral  and 
religious  ideas,  as  bafed  upon  a  divine  revelation. 

The  legiflative  action,  previoufly  referred  to,  gives  a 
practical  importance  to  thefe  confederations  which  it  is 
not  eafy  to  exaggerate.  The  propofition  is  before  us 
to  avail  ourfelves  of  the  liberal  appropriation  of  land, 
&c.,  in  the  Central  Park,  which  the  Commiflioners 
thereof  have  fet  apart,  for  the  eftablifhment  of  the  Hif- 
torical  Mufeum  of  Antiquities  and  Science,  and  a  Gal 
lery  of  Art.51  It  is  to  be  remembered  that  the  chief 
object  for  which  this  Society  was  eftablifhed  is  the  col 
lection  of  books  and  manufcripts  relating  to  the  hif 
tory  of  the  United  States,  and  efpecially  of  the  State  of 
New  York.  In  purfuance  of  this  object,  the  archives 
of  this  Society,  as  has  been  ftated,  already  contain  rich 
collections  of  materials  which  throw  light,  not  only 
upon  our  early  focial  and  political  pofition  and  char 
acter,  but  alfo  upon  the  hiftory  of  fome  of  the  moft 
ancient  kingdoms  heretofore  alluded  to,  which  exifted 


84          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

in  ages  long  antecedent  to  the  dawn  of  Chriftianity, 
and  are  interwoven  with  the  general  hiftory  of  all 
fubfequent  times. 

Thefe  collections  are,  year  after  year,  illuftrated  and 
enriched  by  the  difquifitions,  inveftigations  and  con 
tributions  of  the  honorary,  correfponding  and  refident 
members  of  this  Society,  and  its  friends  and  fup- 
porters  at  home  and  abroad.  We  have  thus  accumu 
lated,  and  are  conftantly  engaged  in  accumulating, 
treafures  of  ineftimable  value  for  the  great  hiftorians 
of  our  own  day,  and  for  thofe  by  whom  they  are  to 
be  fucceeded.  All  that  has  been  faid  of  the  import 
ance  of  libraries  in  general,  to  the  literary  and  fcien- 
tific  culture  of  a  nation,  applies  with  equal  force  to 
the  relation  and  importance  of  hiftorical  documents 
and  books  to  the  hiftory  of  any  people.  And  this 
concurrence  of  events  favorable  to  the  eftablimment 
on  a  large  fcale  of  a  Hiftorical  Library  and  Mufeum 
of  Science  and  Art  fummons  us  to  the  enjoyment  of 
this  great  privilege,  and  the  performance  of  this  im 
perative  duty. 

But  this  library  need  not  and  mould  not  be  exclu- 
fively  a  Hiftorical  Library.  It  may,  and  mould,  in 
connection  with  this  prominent  idea,  embrace  all  the 
departments  of  literature  and  fcience  and  arts  indi 
rectly,  as  well  as  directly,  relating  to  its  chief  defign, 
and  be  a  centre  and  fource  of  intellectual  light  for 
this  city,  State  and  nation. 

The  opportunity  for  us  now  to  inaugurate  a  new 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  85 

power  in  the  focial  progrefs  of  the  nation  is  one  of 
the  grandeft  that  has  ever  been  offered. 

We  fhall  be  greatly  wanting  in  duty,  and  infenfible 
to  the  high  privilege  beftowed  upon  us,  if  we  do  not 
embrace  it.  The  peculiar  characteriftics  of  the  age 
and  of  our  own  pofition  prefent  claims  upon  us  in 
this  refpect  which  have  never  before  been  fo  impera 
tively  urged  in  the  hiftory  of  the  world.  This  nation 
is  governed  not  by  force,  but  by  ideas.  The  hiftory 
of  the  laft  four  years  mows  us  the  tremendous  force 
and  fupremacy  efpecially  of  moral  ideas.  The  fphere 
of  thefe  ideas  is  to  be  widened,  and  they  are  to  be 
impreffed  more  and  more  deeply  upon  the  public 
mind.  And  this  can  be  done  in  no  more  effectual 
way  than  by  eftablifhing  well-felected  Libraries 
throughout  the  land.  Our  country,  more  than  any 
other  in  the  world,  is  dependent  upon  the  virtue  of 
the  people ;  and  their  virtue  is  largely  dependent 
upon  their  intelligence  and  education ;  and  thefe 
depend  upon  the  intellectual  ftimulus  which  they 
receive. 

"Thefenfe  of  the  people,  as  we  call  it,"  fays  Dr.  Prieft- 
ley,  "though  no  nominal  part  of  the  conftitution,  is 
"  often  felt  to  be  a  real  check  upon  public  meafures,  by 
"  whomfoever  they  are  conducted ;  and,  though  it  is 
"  only  expreffed  by  talking,  writing  and  petitioning, 
"  yet  tumult  and  infurrection  fo  often  arife,  when  the 
"  voice  of  the  people  is  loud,  that  the  moft  arbitrary 
"governments  dread  the  effects  of  them."  How 

1 1 


86          The  Moral  and  Intellettual  Influence  of 

potent,  then,  is  that  "voice"  when  it  is  the  ut 
terance  of  the  people  themfelves,  who,  in  this  country, 
are  the  governing  power. 

The  city  of  New  York  is  fo  fituated  as  to  exercife 
a  vaft  influence  upon  the  deftinies  of  the  nation.  Its 
geographical  pofition  is  fuch  as  to  place  the  whole 
country  under  contribution.  The  cotton  and  rice  of 
the  South,  the  grain  and  cattle  of  the  Weft,  the  prod 
ucts  of  New  England  farms,  the  oil  and  iron  and 
coal  of  the  Middle  States,  the  mineral  wealth,  the 
filver  and  the  gold  upon  thofe  diftant  mores  which 
are  warned  by  the  waves  of  the  Pacific,  find  their  way 
to  this  metropolis,  and  from  this  point,  as  a  radiating 
centre,  are  poured  forth  to  every  portion  of  the  world. 
It  is  impoffible  to  deny  that  this  fact  beftows  un 
bounded  influence  upon  this  great  and  rapidly  ex 
panding  city.  The  traders  and  merchants  and  profef- 
fional  men  who  are  called  here  on  bufinefs  or  pleafure 
come  in  contact  with  the  great  ideas  of  the  age,  are 
imbued  with  them,  and  aid,  wherever  they  go,  in  their 
diffufion.  Whatever  intellectual  influences  are  domi 
nant  here — whatever  fyftem  of  thought  prevails  here — 
will  exercife  a  ftupendous  power  throughout  the  whole 
extent  of  our  country. 

It  is  a  circumftance  moft  worthy  of  our  confidera- 
tion  that  the  future  profperity  and  glory  of  this  city 
depend  upon  laws  of  nature,  or,  rather,  upon  nature's 
GOD.  The  parallel  of  latitude  upon  which  we  are 
fituated  is  that  which  is,  perhaps,  more  than  any  other, 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  87 

favorable  to  the  development  of  the  agricultural 
wealth  of  the  country.  And,  if  \ve  follow  that  par 
allel  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  coaft,  we  mall 
find  that  it  wonderfully  coincides  with  the  great  routes 
necflarily  followed  by  commerce  and  travel.  At  the 
fame  time,  this  line  of  communication  is  acceflible  at 
almoft  every  point  from  the  extreme  northern  and 
fouthern  portions  of  the  country. 

There  is  another  remarkable  fact  in  our  pofition 
which  confers  an  extraordinary  advantage.  This  fame 
parallel  of  latitude,  while  it  is  the  moft  favorable,  fo 
far  as  the  great  interior  is  concerned,  would  be  too  far 
north  were  it  not  for  a  wonderful  provifion  of  nature, 
by  which  the  heated  waters  of  the  Mexican  Gulf  flow 
in  one  mighty  ftream  through  the  Atlantic  Ocean, 
moderating  the  feverity  of  the  weather  on  our  coaft, 
and  making  it  eafily  acceflible  in  the  moft  wintry 
ftorms.  Thus  thefe  and  other  influential  facts  and 
circumftances,  as  by  a  decree  of  Heaven,  feem  to 
have  marked  out  this  fpot  as  the  central  radiating 
point  of  commercial  influence,  of  accumulative  facili 
ties  of  intercourfe  and  combined  controling  power, 
which  can'iot  fail  to  make  the  port  of  New  York  the 
chief  ent 'vpot  of  this  hemifphere,  and  the  city  itfelf 
the  great  diftributive  emporium  for  every  portion  of 
the  New  as  well  as  of  the  principal  marts  of  the  Old 
World. 

Now,  when  we  reflect  upon  the  probable  future  of 
this  Republic,  we  fliall  fee  how  vaft  is  the  refponfibility 


88          The  Moral  and  Intellectual  Influence  of 

which  is  impofed  upon  us.  We  are  juft  entering  upon 
a  new  era  in  our  hiftory.  A  fierce  and  fanguinary 
ftruggle,  through  which  we  have  juft  parted,  and  which 
would  have  proftrated  any  other  nation,  leaves  us 
vaftly  ftronger  and  more  confcious  of  our  ftrength 
than  before.  There  are  certain  peculiarities  in  our 
cafe  which,  in  the  Providence  of  God,  have  fecured 
this  refult.  For  the  firft  time  in  the  hiftory  of  the 
world,  a  government  is  eftablifhed  whofe  theory  it  is 
to  protect  no  interefts  and  to  feek  no  good  but  thofe 
of  the  people  at  large ;  and  this  government  has  for  its 
fphere  a  vaft  territory,  lying  upon  two  oceans,  and 
embracing  every  variety  of  climate  and  foil.  A  new 
and  irrefiiftible  moral  power  has  been  added  to  this 
government  by  the  fanction  which  it  has  given  to  uni- 
verfal  freedom.  God  has  provided  everything  here 
neceflary  to  the  grandeft  development.  The  fources 
of  our  wealth  are  inexhauftible.  They  prefs  upon  us 
in  every  valley,  by  every  ftream,  on  the  mountains, 
through  the  pathlefs  forefts,  in  the  funlefs  mines. 
The  bracing  airs  of  the  temperate  zone  breath  ftrength 
and  vigor  into  the  frame,  and  fit  man  for  the  tafk  of 
fubjecting  to  himfelf  the  power  and  riches  of  nature. 
The  Old  World  is  pouring  its  millions  of  population 
upon  our  mores,  filling  up  our  wafte  territories  and 
furniftiing  the  wonderfully  varied  materials  which  our 
inftitutions  are  to  mould  and  fafhion.  A  ftupendous 
development  here  of  power  and  grandeur,  beyond 
anything  that  the  world  has  ever  feen,  is  certain. 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  89 

Whether  it  fhall  be  for  good  or  evil  depends  upon 
the  intelligence  and  virtue  of  the  people.  We  might 
almoft  fancy  the  Genius  of  the  Republic,  with  eye 
fixed  upon  the  yet  diftant  and  uncertain,  but  fwiftly 
coming  future,  declaring  our  poffible  glory,  but  warn 
ing  us  of  our  imminent  peril.  We  may  difregard  her 
pleadings,  as  the  deluded  Trojans  did  thofe  of  the 
frenzied  CafTandra.  If  that  is  fo,  nothing  can  be 
before  us  but  ruin — all  the  more  appalling  becaufe  of 
the  gigantic  fcale  of  the  cataftrophe.  But  if  we  heed 
her  warnings,  or,  rather,  if  we  liften  to  the  voice  of 
hiftory,  confult  the  oracles  of  philofophy, — above 
all,  follow  the  path  that  is  marked  out  for  nations 
in  Divine  Revelation, — we  fhall  be  the  means  of 
conferring  the  moft  glorious  bleffings  upon  man 
kind,  and  reach  the  fummit  of  human  greatnefs  and 
power. 

How  wonderfully  appropriate  to  thefe  United 
States,  with  their  emblematic  fhield-bearer,  and  fingu- 
larly  prophetic  of  the  future  deftiny  of  our  Re 
public,  are  thofe  eloquent  words  of  Milton  in  regard 
to  England  :  "  Methinks  I  fee  in  my  mind  a  noble 
<f  and  puiflant  nation,  roufing  herfelf  like  a  ftrong 
"  man  after  fleep,  and  making  her  invincible  locks ; 
"  methinks  I  fee  her  as  an  EAGLE,  mewing  her  mighty 
"youth,  and  kindling  her  undazzled  eyes  at  the  full 
"  mid-day  beam  ;  purging  and  unfealing  her  long- 
"  abufed  fight  at  the  fountain  itfelf  of  heavenly 
"  radiance ;  while  the  whole  noife  of  timorous  and 


go         The  Moral  and  IntelleSfual  Influence  of 

"  flocking  birds,  with  thofe  alfo  that  love  the  twilight, 
"  flutter  about,  amazed  at  what  fhe  means." 

Taking  thefe  two  thoughts,  the  vaft  influence  of 
the  city  upon  the  intellectual  and  moral  character  of 
the  nation,  and  the  wonderful  deftiny  which  is  before 
it,  is  there  not  impofed  upon  us  a  moft  folemn  re- 
fponfibility  to  make  this  city  a  fource  of  intelligence 
and  virtue  for  the  whole  land  ?  And  what  can  we  in 
our  fphere  do  towards  accomplishing  this  refult  bet 
ter  than  to  lay  the  foundations  of  a  Library,  Mu- 
feum  of  Antiquities  and  Science,  and  Gallery  of  Art, 
fuch  as  that  which  I  am  now  advocating — a  Libra 
ry,  Mufeum  and  Gallery  for  the  whole  people,  fuch 
as  is  commenfurate  with  our  greatnefs  and  unrivaled 
profperity,  one  which  mail  furnifh  every  facility  for 
the  ftudent  in  every  department  of  his  inveftigations, 
which  mall  roufe  the  public  mind  to  noble  impulfes 
by  the  magic  influence  of  genius,  which  mall  ftimu- 
late  fcientific  difcovery,  which  mall  add  ftrength  to 
all  moral  and  religious  inftitutions  and  ideas,  which 
mall  be  a  home  for  the  poor,  for  whofe  elevation  our 
very  fyftem  of  government  is  defigned,  where  they 
who  are  fhut  out  from  fo  many  of  the  refining  effects 
of  focial  intercourfe  may  filently  commune  with  the 
great  intellects  of  all  ages  of  the  world. 

The  large-hearted  and  liberal-minded  merchants, 
the  men  of  wealth,  literary,  antiquarian  and  profef- 
fional  men,  the  men  of  fcience  and  the  lovers  of  art, 
citizens  of  New  York,  and  all  wherefoever  refident, 


Libraries  upon  Social  Progrefs.  91 

who  are  interefted  in  the  great  work  which  this  Soci 
ety  eartieftly  recommends  to  their  patronage  and 
liberality,  could  not  well  perform  a  grander  act  or 
attain  a  higher  glory  than  by  laying  the  founda 
tion  of  fuch  a  metropolitan,  or  rather  cofmopolitan 
LIBRARY,  MUSEUM  AND  GALLERY,  with  all  the  ap 
pliances  which  fuch  an  inftitution  can  poffibly  enjoy. 
Thofe  who  mall  accomplifh  it  will  need  no  other 
memorial.  In  the  coming  generations,  fhould  their 
monument  be  fought,  the  hiftorian  might  point  to 
the  material  profperity,  the  boundlefs  charity  and 
moral  greatnefs  of  this  city  and  nation,  fo  largely  re- 
fulting  from  their  far-reaching  wifdom  and  liberality, 
and  fay,  as  was  faid  of  CHRISTOPHER  WREN,  amid 
the  glories  of  St.  Paul's  Cathedral,  "  Si  monumentum 
"quaeris,  circumfpice." 


NOTES. 


1.  T.  L\v.  Hift.  lib.  xxxiii.,  c.  32. 

2.  Cicero  in  Ver.,  •?,  n.  161  and  162. 

3.  Article  "  Flamininus,"  "  Claflical  Dictionary,"  by  Charles  Anthon,  LL.  D. 

4.  The  feeds  referred  to  are  of  the  muftard  tree,  known,  commonly,  among  natu- 
ralifts  as  the  "  Salvadora  Perfica."     In  Syria  it  is  called  "khardal."    See  Dr.  Royle's 
Paper,  in  the  Athenzum  of  March  28,  1  844,  and  the  Gentleman's  Magazine,  June, 
1844.     Alfo,  Plin.  H.  N.,  I,  20,  C.  B.  j,  and  D'Herbelot,  Biblioth.  Orient.,  S.V. 
Efcander. 

5.  "Table  Talk  "  of  S.  T.  Coleridge,  Harper  &  Bro.'s  Ed.,  under  date  of  April 
10,  1833. 

6.  The  Life  of  M.  Tullius  Cicero,  by  Conyers  Middleton.     Vol.   II.,  p.  186. 
London,  1823.     The  following  is  the  verfe  referred  to  in  the  text  : 

'  'iJor  irifi 


Eurip.  Phueniffa,  524-5. 

"For  if  it  behooves  one  to  be  unjuft,  it  is  moft  glorious  to  be  unjuft  concerning 
empire,  but  in  all  other  things  it  is  right  to  be  juft." 

See  alfo  Suet.  Jul.  53,  "  Verbum  M.  Catonis  eft,  unum  ex  omnibus  Czfarem  ad 
evertendam  republican!  Sobrium  accefiifie." 

j.  Coleridge's  "Table  Talk,"  Harper  &  Bro.'s  Ed.,  p.  53. 

8.  The  Life  and  Correfpondence  of  Thomas  Arnold,  D.  D.     Appleton's  Ed., 
pp.  1  60,  161. 

9.  See  note  by  Dean  Stanley,  at  foot  of  above,  p.  161  of  Arnold's  Life,  &c. 

10.  Coleridge's  "  Table  Talk."     Same  edition,  pp.  78,  79. 

11.  Diog.  La;rt.,  lib.  vi.,  cap.  2,  fee.  6. 

12.  The  Poet's  Pilgrimage,  ftanza  Ivii.,  Robert  Southey,  Poet  Laureate.     Lec 
tures  on  Hiftory,  &c.,  by  Dr.  Jofeph  Prieftley,  LL.  D.,  F.  R.  S.     London,  1826. 
On  page  403  the  author  remarks  that,  "In  modern  times,  though  an  end  has  been 
put  to  fervitude  in  the  Chriftian  countries  of  Europe,  it  has  been  greatly  extended  in 
our  Colonies,  flaves    being    purchafed  in  Africa  and   tranfported,  in   order   to  their 

12 


94 


Notes. 


being  employed  in  America.  But  both  the  injuftice  and  the  ill-policy  of  this  fyf- 
tem  is  now  pretty  generally  acknowledged."  Had  not  the  Royal  ear  of  England 
been  deaf  to  the  remonftrances  of  fome  of  thofe  Colonies,  the  civil  war  drawing  to 
a  clofe,  which  ilavery  occafioned,  and  which  that  war  has  aboliflied,  had  probably 
never  occurred.  "  Man  propofes,  GOD  difpofes."  By  the  Roman  laws,  flaves, 
as  in  our  South,  were  confidered  not  as  men,  but  as  res,  the  property  of  their 
matters ;  and  the  Romans,  as  Montefquieu  obferves,  "  being  accuftomed  to  trample 
upon  mankind  in  the  perfons  of  their  children  and  (laves,  could  know  but  very  little 
of  that  virtue  which  we  diftinguiih  by  the  name  of  humanity."  A  chained  flave 
for  a  porter  was  a  common  fight  at  Rome;  and  Vedius  Pollio  ufed  to  throw  his  flaves, 
who  had  difobeyed  him,  into  his  fifti-ponds  to  be  preyed  upon  by  the  mullets.  The 
following  obfervation,  it  has  been  well  faid,  argues  that  increafe  of  population  was  lit 
tle  encouraged  by  the  Romans  among  their  flaves.  "  It  is  an  univerfal  obfervation, 
which  we  may  form  upon  language,  that  when  two  related  parts  of  a  'whole  bear 
any  proportion  to  each  other,  in  numbers,  rank  or  consideration,  there  are  always 
co-relative  terms  invented,  which  anfwer  to  both  parts  and  exprefs  their  mutual  rela 
tion.  If  they  bear  no  proportion  to  each  other,  the  term  is  only  invented  for  the 
lefs,  and  marks  its  diftinftion  from  the  whole.  Thus,  man  and  woman,  mafler  and 
fcrvant,  father  and /on,  prince  and  fubjefl,  fir  anger  and  citizen,  are  co-relative  terms 
in  all  languages — indicating  that  each  part  fignified  by  them  bears  a  considerable  pro 
portion  to  one  another,  and  are  often  compared  together.  But  verna,  the  Latin 
name  of  ajlave  born  in  the  family,  has  no  co-relative." — Hume's  Eflays,  xi.,  1777, 
I,  555.  Ibid.,  pp.  407,  556. 

There  is  an  illuftration  of  this  curious  obfervation  of  Hume  in  the  XXVII.  Ode 
of  Horace,  "  Ad  Sodales  :  " 

"  QiJite  cunque  domat  Venus, 
Non  erubefcendis  adurit 

Ignibus,  ingenuoque  femper 
Amore  peccas." 

Francis,  in  his  edition  of  Horace,  comments,  in  a  note,  upon  the  laft  words  thus : 
"They  who  had  an  intrigue  with  a  flave  were  branded  with  the  name  of  Ancilla- 
rio/i,  as  men  of  fordid  and  infamous  paffions — fuch  paffions  as  the  poet  here  calls 
erubcjcendi  igncs" 

The  South,  cut  off  from  the  "flave  trade"  with  Africa,  encouraged  home  pro- 
ducYion,  and  this  mode  of  adding  to  their  flave  population  no  doubt  occafioned 
great  demoralization,  and  helped  to  precipitate  it  into  the  late  favage  and  difaftrous 
rebellion. 

13.  Principi  di  Scienza-Nuova.     G.  B.  Vico.     Milano,  1831. 

14.  Die  Beftimmung  desMenfchen,  dargeftellt  von  Johann  Gottlieb  Fichte,  Erfte 


Notes. 


95 


Aufgabe.     Berlin  Vofs 'fche  Buchhandlung,  1800.     Zweite  unveranderte  Aufgabe 
Ebendafelbft,  1838. 

15.  Ucber   die    Gottheiten    von   Samothrace,  vorgelefer   in  der  "  orTentlichen 
Sitzung  der  Bayrifcher  Akademie  der  Wiffenfchaften  am  Nafmcnftage  des   Konigs 
der  12  Oft.,  1815.     Beylafe  zu  der  Veltaltern  von  Fr.  V.  J.  Schilling. 

1 6.  Georg.  Wilhelm  Friedrich  Hegel's  vorlefunger    iiber  die   Philofophie   der 
Religion,  Nebft  einer  Schrift  iiber  die  Beweife  von   Dafein  Gottes,  heraufgegeben 
von    Dr.    Phillipp  Marheinekc,  Erfte  Theil.     Zweite  verbeflerte  Auflage.     Ber 
lin,  1840. 

Georg.  Wilhelm  Friedrich  Hegel's  Vorlefunger  iiber  die  Philofophie  der  Ge- 
fchichte  heraufgegeben  von  Dr.  Edward  Gans.  Berlin,  1837. 

17.  Cours  de  Philofophie   Pofitive  par  M.   Auguft  Comte.      Paris,    Bachelier, 
Libraire  Pour  Les  Mathematiques,  1830. 

18.  Diodorus  Siculus,  lib.  I,  c.  2. 

19.  Manners  and  Cuftoms  of  Ancient  Egyptians,  vol.  I,  pp.  m-ii6. 

20.  Lettres,  285,  quoted  by  Kenrick,  Ancient  Egypt,  vol.  i,  p.  155. 

21.  Machab.,  lib.  u,  c.  n,  v.  13. 

22.  Judges  xv.,  v.  15. 

23.  Ib.,  v.  49. 

24.  Rapport  a  le  Miniftre  de  1'Inftruftion  Publique,  in  the   Archives  des  Mif- 
fions  Scientifiques.     Mai,  1856.      Vol.  v.,  p.  179. 

25.  Strabo,  lib.  xiii.,  pp.  608,  609. 

26.  Athenjeus,  Deipnofophiftarum  libri  xv.  lib.  1-4. 

27.  Jofeph,  Ant.  Jud.,  lib.  i,  c.  2. 

28.  Enc.  Brit.,  Art  Libraries. 

29.  This  and  the  following  rtatements  in  regard  to  modern  libraries  are  derived, 
in  great  part,  from  the  article  on  Libraries  in  the  Encyclopaedia  Britannica. 

30.  Confult  fame  article. 

3'-  xat  ravrit  (in  yiyovf,  SvittrOe  I*.a6ia  ex  Tat  tifi  flairix  HiAaTx 
yfv»/usv«»  ccxTat.  ]•  M.  Ap.  i,  p.  76,  C.  Paris,  1636.  Num.  36,  p.  65,  Bened. 

32-  'OTI  it  xai  r»vra.  net  ma-it ,  ex  -ran  tiri  n«»T/!!  Utters  yetefumt  ux 
rui  fialtit  Svtctrtc.  Ib.,  p.  84,  C.  Paris.  Num.  48,  p.  72,  Bened. 

33.  Ea  omni.i  fuper  Chrifto,  Pilatus,  et  ipfe  jam  pro  sua  conlcientia  Chriftianus, 
Caefari  tune  Tiberio  nuntiavit.  Tertull.     Ap.,  c.  21,  p.  22,  C. 

34.  Et  tamen  eum  mundi  cafum  relatum  in  arcanis  veftris  habetis.     Ib.,  c.  21. 

35.  Philo  de  Legetj  ad  Caium,  p.  1016,  A. 

36.  Sueton.,  Tiber.,  c.  74,  torn.  I,  p.  324. 

37.  Aulus  Gellius  Hift.  Alt.,  lib.  xiii.,  c.  19. 

38.  Vopifci  Hift.  Aug.  Scriptores,  p.  233. 


96 


Notes. 


39.  Apol.,  cap.  5,  p.  6. 

40.  Eufeb.  H.  E.,  1.  2,  cap.  2. 

41.  Chrys.  Horn.  26,  in  2  Cor.,  t.  x,  p.  624,  A. 

42.  P.  Ores.,  1.  7,  c.  4. 

43.  Zonar,  Ann.,  t.  2,  p.  176. 

44.  Niceph.,  1.  2,  cap.  8. 

45.  Chriftus  Tiberio  imperatore,  per  procuratorem    Pentium    Pilatum   fuppliclo 
idfedlus  erft. — Tacit.,  Ann.  xv.,  44. 

46.  Philofophy  of  Hiftory,  Vol.  I.,  p.  352. 

47.  Studies  on  Homer  and  the  Homeric  Age:  by  the  Rt.  Hon.  W.  E.  Gladftone, 
D.  C.  L.     Oxford,  at  the  Univerfity  Prefs,  1857. 

48.  Hiftory  of  Civilization   in    England  :    by   Henry  Thomas  Buckle.     2  vols. 
New  York,  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  1858. 

49.  Zur  Farbenlehre  von  Goethe,  Tiibingen,  1810. 

50.  Hiftory  of  the  Inductive  Sciences:  by  Wm.  Whewell,  D.D.      2  vols.     New 
York,  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  1858. 

51.  The  following  is  a  defcription  of  the  premifes  fet  apart  by  the  Commifiioners 
for  The  Hiftorical  Mufeum  : 

"  The  building  within  faid  Park,  heretofore  known  as  the  New  York  State 
"  Arfenal,  together  with  the  grounds  under,  around,  and  adjoining  the  fame, 
"  bounded  as  follows,  to  wit :  commencing  at  a  point  where  the  northerly  line  of 
"  Sixty-third  Street,  if  continued  in  the  fame  line  north-wefterly,  would  interfeQ 
"  the  wefterly  line  of  Fifth  Avenue ;  thence  north-wefterly  on  a  line  at  right 
"  angles  with  the  Fifth  Avenue  two  hundred  and  fixty  feet ;  thence  north-eafterly 
"  on  a  line  parallel  with  the  Fifth  Avenue  two  hundred  feet ;  thence  north-wefterly 
"  on  a  line  at  right  angles  with  faid  avenue  one  hundred  and  ninety  feet ;  thence 
"  north-eafterly  on  a  line  parallel  with  the  faid  avenue  two  hundred  and  fixty  feet ; 
"  thence  fouth-eafterly  on  a  line  at  right  angles  with  the  faid  avenue  four  hundred 
"  and  fifty  feet  to  the  wefterly  line  of  faid  avenue  j  and  thence  along  the  wefterly 
"  line  of  faid  avenue  four  hundred  and  fixty  feet  to  the  place  of  beginning.** 


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MAY  2  2  1962 

DEC  7-  1966 

AUG  4      1171 

MUW  •          |g(  | 

^laurtoAn                  Univer^{yr^el^fl°rnia 

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